Catenatus
by M.S. Fisher
Summary: Until peace between two, become allies or love, the bonding together will then dissolve. Draco and Ginny must learn to get along, to be free of the ancient and powerful magic that was put on them... [[Currently being Rewritten]]
1. 1

Catenatus

Catenatus

By: Realms

(Archer, Alana, Evelyn, Regan, Kathryn, DT, Sierra, and A)

****

Disclaimer- Based off the works of JK Rowling, all that she rightfully owns, belongs to her. The rest is ours, ours, ours!

** Chapter One: The Touch**

"Ron!" Ginny called, jumping up on her tippy toes at the attempt of grabbing an out of reach book. When there was no response from her call, she tried louder, "Ron!"

"What Ginny?" Ron responded finally, turning away from his good friend, Harry Potter. They were both looking intently at the new _Quidditch Historic Players _which Ginny, unwisely, had stumbled upon.

"Get that book up there for me," Ginny said finally, pointing up at the top bookshelf where a thick book sat just out of reach from the short red haired girl. Ron sighed and rolled his eyes before walking quickly over to where she stood and pulled the book from the shelf. He handed it to her not a bit gently before hurrying back to Harry and the book. Ginny rolled her eyes at his retreating back before placing the new book on the stack of the ones she had. 

She was moving on to her fifth year, as Ron, Harry, and Hermione were going to their sixth. As the books were being purchased she glanced back at where the two boys sat, enthralled. A light blush flushed her face when the shopkeeper had to raise his voice to get her attention. Taking her books and putting them into her bag she rushed over to where Hermione sat elbow deep into books.

"Simply fascinating how those boys are so interested in that sport," Hermione commented when Ginny rushed up to her. 

"Disturbing as well," Ginny grinned. Hermione smiled at her agreement and went back to the book she was reading, leaving Ginny with her books, and the leftover money her Mum and Dad had given her. Deciding to go to Florean Rortescue's Ice Cream Parlor and get herself something while she waited for the others to finish up. As she walked out the door, her eyes lingered on Harry briefly, before focusing on ahead of her.

Of course when she was good distance away the mental scolding began. _Ginny, why stare at the boy if he obviously seems to absolutely show no signs of liking you_. And of course the wishful, loyal part of her would respond, _He's a boy, and they're very slow at these things. Give him time._

"He's had nearly five years," she said softly out loud. She stopped walking in the middle of the crowded sidewalk when those words left her mouth. People continued pushing past her, some giving her dirty looks, but she didn't notice them. Nearly five years of her life she's followed Harry around, doing anything to get him to notice her. Was Harry really that clueless, or was he seriously not interested in her? That loyal part kicked in, whispering to her promises and rewards for patience. Ginny, satisfied with what she thought, continued on to the Parlor.

"Will it be all that bad this year?" Ginny asked Hermione at the breakfast table, a few weeks later. She was talking of her Care of Magical Creatures class, which Hagrid had continued teaching after his 'secret mission'. The year before, a short, smell man had taught the class, and did it horribly. He was named 'Mini Snape' by all but the Slytherins, who had an unsurprising affinity to him. They only called him that when he wasn't within hearing distance though, Mini Snape was vicious, and not at all light on punishment. Or homework for that manner. 

"I don't think it will be all that bad this year," Hermione said, setting her thick Muggle Studies book to take a bite of the bacon on her plate. "Hagrid is back."

Ginny winced, causing Hermione to laugh. "He's not that bad!" she chuckled.

"His classes are always interesting," Ginny admitted, "Not safe, but interesting."

Hermione smiled and looked over at Harry and Ron. Even after getting their schoolbooks, and going through the first few weeks of school, the boys were still looking over the book.

"You haven't finished it yet?" Hermione asked with a snort.

Ron looked up indignantly, "We've finished it,"

"Then what are you still looking at it for?"

"Does it matter? We've finished it, just because we're not done looking at it doesn't mean we haven't finished reading it." Ron said.

"You've been looking at it rather long, what's so interesting about it anyway?" Hermione asked, leaning over the table to look at the book. Pictures of famous Quidditch players, some in color and others in black and white zoomed in and out of scenes.

Ginny lost interest at this point, and looked around the Hall. The Ravenclaw table had almost every student sitting there, nothing very interesting seemed to be happening. 

Turning in her seat, she noticed the Hufflepuff table was practically empty as well as the Slytherin. Actually, four people were sitting at the Slytherin table. Jillian Derricks, who was in Ginny's year, one large girl, who she recognized as Pansy. The other three were almost being blocked by Pansy's bulk. She could make out what looked like Crabbe and Goyle, so undoubtedly, Malfoy must be near by.

Hermione sitting down heavily beside her made Ginny turn around away from the Slytherin's. In Hermione's hands was_ Quidditch Historic Players_, and across the table was a protesting Harry and Ron. "I will not give it back until I actually see you two do your homework. You lost us nearly 30 points in Potions the other day-" she heard Hermione start. Ginny rolled her eyes and stood up.

"Give it to me now Hermione," Harry's voice said.

The Hall was beginning to empty, since the first class of the day would be beginning soon. Hermione, Harry, and Ron were the only ones still sitting, oblivious to the emptying Hall.

"Hermione," Ginny called, purposely avoiding Harry's look. She felt her face beginning to heat up so she quickly finished what she was saying. "Class is about to start, and I still need my ink."

Hermione stared blankly at her for a moment, before what the younger girl said dawned her. She sprang from her seat and shoved _Quidditch Historic Players _into her bookbag, ignoring the new stream of protests from the boys, and brought out an inkbottle.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting Ginny," Hermione said, she gestured to the boys beside her, which explained it all.

"I'll see you later then." Ginny smiled, and before turning around to leave the Hall, she snuck a quick glance at Harry. She heard their voices raise as she left the room, but a sort of goofy smile was on her face. So deep into her thoughts, she didn't even realize she ran into someone until she found herself on the ground, the inkbottle broken on the floor next to her. The ebony color oozed slowly across the white marble floor, and to her dismay she found a few blots on her robes and her arm.

"Watch where you're going, Weasley." she heard a very unwanted and familiar voice say from above her.

"Why don't you?" Ginny said, growing angry as she rubbed at the ink spots on her arm. The rubbing only succeeded in making the spot larger and smudged. 

"You ran into me, Weasley." Draco Malfoy pointed out, not making a move to leave or help her up.

"What were you doing standing in front of a doorway anyway?" Ginny snapped, pushing herself to her feet.

"I can stand wherever I want to," Draco said lazily.

Ginny, having no retort to this, just huffed furiously and bent down to pick up broken pieces of her bottle. Her mind raced as she thought of something spiteful to say to him, "You broke my ink bottle." 

__

Duh.

"I can see that Weasley."

"I need a new one. That was the only one I had with me."

"You can only afford one?" Draco smirked.

"No," Ginny gritted out straightening and facing him. "I mean, I only have one with me, which is the one you broke. I don't want to run all the way up to my room to get a new ink bottle."

"That's not my problem."

Ginny stiffened. "Fine," she said shortly, she dropped the broken bottle at Draco's feet. "Never mind," She turned, picking up her bag from the floor, and began to move towards the door to outside when someone grabbed her wrist. Instinctively, she jerked her hand back, but whoever had hold of it, didn't let go. She turned, and stared at the hand.

Draco Malfoy's hand.

And in it was an inkbottle.

Speechless, Ginny took the bottle and his hand jerked away. She looked up at his pale gray eyes, with wonderment.

"Thank you," she managed.

Something in his eyes changed. They grew hard, as well as his face. "I don't need your thanks, the last thing I need is to owe a Weasley anything. Watch where you're going next time." he snapped before turning and walking in the opposite direction.

Ginny watched him go, hurt. When he turned the corner, out of sight, she looked down at the inkbottle. With a shake of her head, she stuffed it in her bag and rushed out to Hagrid's class.

"Very old and powerful magic," Hagrid said, petting what looked like and oversized jaguar. In fact, it was a very large black cat; a white square on the cat's forehead was the unique thing about it along with her round, gold eyes that gazed intelligently at the students. "She's not mine ter keep, but a friend er mine keeps her as a companion. I thought she'd be nice fer you kids to get a look at. You can pet her, be careful of touching the square there."

Most of the students shifted where they stood uneasily. They knew Hagrid's concept on harmless animals. Magical and powerful ones were not ones to be messed with either. Ginny looked around at her classmates quickly. Seeing no one volunteering she sighed, and stepped foreword. 

The cat let out a sound her dad's flying car would make when it ran. She continued petting it lightly on the head as the other students, emboldened by her approach, began to pet it. As the students did so Hagrid continued talking.

"This cat was used ter bond enemies together. In ancient times, she had the ability ter speak, so she could talk to the people who used her. She was most famous fer bringing together two blood feuding families Teirinicha and Alaneb's."

Ginny listened to this, and continued petting the cat's head. Her mind drifted briefly to that morning's breakfast and Hermione's capturing of the book, then to the incident outside the Hall. 

__

That stupid git, Ginny thought furiously, petting a bit harder without realizing it. _Why does he have to be so arrogant and rude_. But he did give her an inkbottle, at her request...but the words he said after, they actually hurt her.

__

'I don't need your thanks, the last thing I need is to owe a Weasley anything...'

Ginny bit her lip. Malfoy's other insults, like their money problems, and anything else he had to say never really bothered her. Not as much as it did her brother. Of course Malfoy had never really said anything to her face, not with that emotion. That's why it must bother Ron so much, Ginny thought. _To hear such venom and hatred in someone's voice is hurtful...especially over a simple debt._

But as Ginny thought this, she had gazed off past the powerful black cat. She did not notice the cat's interested and amused gaze on her face. Nor the slight glow that seemed to be coming from the white square on its forehead. She did notice when she felt a strong tug on her right wrist, and the feeling of what felt like string. 

Surprised, she looked down at her wrist. Nothing was wrapped around it. Raising her hand up to the sunlight, she twisted it around slightly, checking for anything that could have gotten caught. Great my robes are probably fraying, and they're only a year old, she thought. Then she saw it. 

It was almost unnoticeable, but she saw it. Wrapped loosely, yet firmly around her wrist, was a silvery, translucent, very thin thread. Ginny's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to say something to one of her classmates. The cat moved, and Ginny looked to her, the call of surprise dying in her throat. The cat was grinning.

A jerk on the thread made her stumble foreword, causing several people to look over at her. Confused, Ginny tugged at the string. It felt loose, she didn't understand why it had tugged on her. Another jerk pulled her foreword five steps, catching everyone's attention in the class including Hagrids.

"Something wrong Ginny?" Hagrid called.

"I-I..." Ginny stuttered. She turned and held up her wrist. "Something's pulling me."

"What?" Hagrid asked.

He was answered by Ginny's surprised shriek as she began to be pulled away from her class rapidly. She was running to keep up with the pull, and it was heading in the direction of the castle. The sound of shouts and running feet behind her told her entire Care of Magical Creatures class was chasing after her.

Draco was furious with himself as he walked away from the Weasley girl and his inkbottle. His father would be furious if he'd known he'd given an expensive bottle of ink to the muggle loving fools' daughter. He was surprised himself when he pulled it from his bag, and he hadn't meant to grab her, just call out and toss it to her. 

But somehow, he found himself grabbing her wrist.

And he didn't let go immediately, by Merlin! Draco sighed disgusted with himself as he sat down in Professor Binns class. It wasn't hard to be distracted in that class. Everyone was either catching up on their sleep, talking, or off in their own world. Crabbe and Goyle especially enjoyed the last option. Draco often had to hit them both upside their heads with his heavy History book to get them back to the present.

But today he wasn't distracted by Pansy's sad attempt of flirting with him, or when Millicent began her arm wrestling contest when Binns wasn't looking. His mind kept wandering back to the Weasley girl, and how she had looked at him after he'd told her off. She'd looked hurt, an expression he usually strove for, and often got when he picked on Granger and on rare occasions Potter's sidekick Weasley. But her look...didn't give him as much satisfaction as the others did.

Of course he'd never really had to pick on the Weasley girl. She was Potter's shadow, which annoyed him greatly. She shadowed after Potter and his two friends, silently, and was rarely including in anything they ever talked about, from what he saw. Any conversation with her was brief, if there was one at all, and she seemed to like it. That irked him. She liked being his shadow, and being ignored.

Draco scowled at the thought, and Pansy who had been crooning in front of him, frowned and turned around. This caused him smile, now he wouldn't have to look at face during the entire class. _Stupid Weasley_, he thought to himself, and dismissed her from his mind.

For about a good fifteen minutes, he was working himself into a sleepy stupor, until what felt like a light tug on his wrist woke him up. "Don't Pansy," he hissed immediately. 

Pansy turned around immediately at the sound of her name. "What is it Draco?" she asked, what she thought was sweetly.

Draco stared at her hard, wondering if she was pretending she didn't touch him. "Did you just grab my hand?"

Pansy shook her head, a hopeful look crossing her face. Draco could read her thoughts as though she had said them.

"I don't want you to hold my hand. Don't touch me." he said, drawing his hand off of the desk, away from her.

Pansy jutted out her lower lip in a pout, and faced the front with a flip of her hair. Draco ignored her.

When nothing happened after a few more moments, he relaxed again, and closed his eyes, when the tug at his wrist became a jerk. Causing

his chair to slide sideways loudly.

Professor Binns stopped talking immediately, and the entire class went still as they looked at Draco.

"Do you have something to share with us, Mr. Malfoy?" Professor Binns asked, in his droning voice.

"No," Draco responded, looking closely at his right wrist. Was it him or did he see something shimmer?

"Then move your chair back to your desk and we can continue the class." the Professor said, almost unheard as Draco still carefully studied

his wrist.

As he began to move his chair, the jerk came again, this time pulling him to his feet and practically dragging him to the door.

"Where do you think your going, Mr. Malfoy?" Professor Binns asked. 

Draco didn't answer, though his mouth was open in surprise as he was by some unknown force pulled from the classroom, and down the hallway.

She halted right outside the Great Hall doors, where the ink spill was still on the floor. Ginny looked down at it guiltily. Maybe it was one of Filch's spells to find out who made the mess. She looked up at the sound of hurried footsteps, expecting to see Filch's scowling face. Instead, she saw Malfoy's surprised look, as he drew to a halt about six paces away from her.

"What," Draco asked, looking from her to the ink spill. "Am I doing here again?"

"I don't know," Ginny said, looking past him for a sign of a teacher or Filch. "I thought it was Filch using a spell to find out who made this mess." she pointed to the spill.

"That was your fault Weasley, I thought we covered this."

"Malfoy," Ginny snapped, irritably. "You were part of it, you knocked me over, that'd explain why you're here! If you have a better theory please, by all means enlighten me."

Draco scowled as she crossed her arms and looked at him expectantly. He had no idea why he was pulled or summoned here, and she knew it. "I don't see Filch, or any teacher for that fact. I don't think Professor Binns would go after me, since I for some reason just got up and practically ran out of his class."

"Something I'd love to do," Ginny said.

Draco looked at her, "Whose class were you in?"

Ginny didn't have to answer, because right at that moment, the entrance was flooded with kids from her class, and Hagrid was hurrying toward them looking worried.

Ginny thought she heard Malfoy mutter something about a great big git, but Hagrid's worried questions made her dismiss it. "I'm fine," she said, interrupting his streams of questions. "I think me and Malfoy here were summoned because of this little mess we made earlier. Nothing big."

"Oh," Hagrid said looking very relieved that she wasn't hurt. He looked up and began looking around the hallway. "Who summoned you?"

"We...don't know." Ginny said, looking over at Malfoy to see if he knew. 

Draco just gave her a blank look, a sneer on his face when Hagrid regarded him.

"Hagrid!" McGonagall's voice cried from the stairwell. Everyone in the hall turned when the Professor walked in. McGonagall slowed to a walk when she saw all of Hagrid's students standing behind him. Looking at Draco she narrowed her eyes, "Professor Binns had to interrupt my class to inform me of you're little disappearance. Unfortunately, your Head of your house is a bit too far away to reach for him, so I guess I will have to deal with it."

Draco looked nonplussed.

"Professor," Ginny said, causing Professor McGonagall to look at her. "I thought we were summoned because of that."

McGonagall's look turned to one of surprise when she noticed the spill. "You two did this?"

"Yes, before class. It was an accident, and well we were in the middle of the class when we- well I was just pulled by something to here." Ginny explained quickly. "Were you pulled here as well Malfoy?"

Draco looked as though he weren't going to answer her. But at McGonagall's accusing glare he nodded slowly, his face going blank.

"Well then, what are you saying?" Professor McGonagall asked Ginny.

"I...We thought we were summoned because of the mess. You see you came in as we were trying to figure out who did summon us and our first guess was Filch...but..." Ginny trailed off, her eyes wandering around the room.

McGonagall was looking from the ink spill on the floor to Ginny to Hagrid. "Hagrid, may I speak with you for one moment?" she asked finally.

"Yes ma'am." Hagrid said, following McGonagall into the Hall.

Ginny looked after them as they began to whisper furiously to one another; she looked over to Draco, who didn't seem to care.

Draco was confused, but he wouldn't show that to any of the muggle loving fools who discussed what happened in front of him. He withdrew his thoughts to himself, leaving his face unreadable and hard. When Ginny had pointed out her theory, he was immensely relieved that it was perhaps nothing but a fit about some spilled ink. Though when no one stepped up to summoning them, he began to doubt her theory. 

He totally lost hope of it when Professor McGonagall showed up.

Draco ignored Ginny when she looked over at him, her eyes wide, a bit frightened, but mostly confused. What did she expect him to do? Explain what was happening when he didn't even know what was going on?

She looked away again, figuring she wouldn't get a response from him anytime soon. _Stupid girl_, Draco thought, looking to the spill on the floor angrily. _It has to do something with the ink. She should've just cleaned it up. And what in the bloody hell are McGonagall and the stupid giant talking about? It's only a bit of ink and their having a discussion over it._

Hagrid then rushed away from McGonagall and out the doors. Ginny, Draco, and his class stared after him with confusion.

"Everyone in Hagrid's class please go back out there and wait for your teacher to begin the lesson again. Go on. Except you Ginny." Professor McGonagall said. 

With reluctance the class left them, and trooped back to the hut, where Hagrid was coming back from, the black cat walking beside him. 

When the entire hall was cleared from students, the silence remained until Hagrid reached them. The black cat sat down beside him, it's gold eye looking right to Ginny's dark ones.

Ginny shivered when they met hers, and she looked to McGonagall to see what this was about.

"The black cat, is that Aoria, Hagrid?" she asked.

"Yep," Hagrid nodded to the Professor. He looked a bit proud. "Me friend lent er to me just for my classes."

"Hagrid," Professor McGonagall began again, she looked paler than usual. "Do you know the legend of Aoria. What she's done?"

"Sure."

"It has been done." another voice joined in suddenly, causing everyone to jump. It was a low, mystical sort of voice, which seemed to echo in the room; each turned around in confusion.

"The cat!" Ginny cried, pointing to her.

"Two enemies bound," the voice said again, though the Aoria's mouth never moved, it echoed in the room and in their heads. "That cannot be broken."

"Bound?" Draco exclaimed, he looked at his wrist that had tugged him out of the classroom.

"Until peace between two, become allies or love, the bonding together will then dissolve." Aoria finished.

Silence.

"Bound," Ginny said softly, she looked down at her wrist and felt around it. Just barely she could feel the small thread on her wrist. "Malfoy, check your wrist."

Draco looked at her, not moving. With a frustrated sigh she hurried over to him and grabbed him by the wrist. She ran her finger around his wrist, feeling the identical string wrapped around his as well. "Professor, we have some sort of string attached to our wrists..." Ginny said, releasing Draco's hand.

Professor McGonagall strode over and took Ginny's wrist into her hand and looked. After a moment she felt around it, then shook her head. "There's nothing there, Ginny."

"What?" Ginny asked, she looked down moving her wrist about to make the thread glimmer. "Don't you see it? If I move it in the light it shimmers."

McGonagall peered at her wrist again and shook her head again. "I don't see anything," she moved over and inspected Draco's wrists. "Nothing on Draco either."

"Malfoy, do you see it?" Ginny asked, almost frantically.

Draco looked at her coolly, almost considering saying no, but then Professor McGonagall was still there watching him carefully. He nodded shortly, but said nothing.

"What does it mean?" Ginny asked raising her arm to see if any other string attached to it. She couldn't see anything or feel another string, she looked at Aoria for help.

Aoria had moved to sitting on her stomach, and was looking very pleased with the entire situation. 

"Is there any way to...unbind them, Aoria?" McGonagall asked slowly.

Aoria tilted her head slightly, her wise gold eyes looking at McGonagall carefully. "Until peace between two, become allies or love, the bonding together will then dissolve." she repeated.

"Yes I know this, but they can't be bound together. Their parents will be furious, and what's more, how could we take care of them if they are bound together?"

Aoria didn't answer, just stared.

"Hagrid, please get Dumbledore." Professor McGonagall said finally.


	2. 2

Chapter Two: Stupid Git ****

Chapter Two: Stupid Git

"This isn't at all amusing Weasley," Draco hissed to Ginny who was grinning at him from as far away as the 'string' would allow.

"It's horrible," she snapped at Draco. "I wasn't thinking about the situation at that moment, Malfoy."

Draco sneered and looked away from her, over to where the three professors' and the Headmaster were talking to one another intently. When Dumbledore had been told about the incident and had came and checked over the two of them he'd called immediately for Snape. Snape was furious when he found out what had happened to Draco, and had sent Ginny many murderous looks before they moved to a more private area to speak of the problem.

The huge cat Aoria was sitting lazily between the two of them, looking quite pleased with itself, licking and stretching its paws periodically.

"What'd you do?" Draco asked suddenly. Ginny looked over at him sharply, not expecting the question. In truth, he hadn't meant to say it out loud, it was just a thought that had voiced itself.

"I didn't do anything," Ginny said.

"You didn't wish it or say something to that...thing?" 

Ginny snorted, "Yes, Malfoy, I wished that I could be attached to you. It was my one desire." 

"I told you already this isn't amusing. If this can't be broken than you'll have to follow me around." Draco said, then after a thought added. "Instead of Potter."

"I don't follow Harry around," Ginny said, turning red.

Draco smirked, "You do, Weasley. Just like your brother you follow around and dote on the stupid git."

"We're friends with Harry. We do not dote on him," Ginny said slowly, with a surprising amount of venom.

"That explains why he ignores you so well, your his _friend_," 

That was a direct hit. Ginny looked shocked that he'd said that, her mouth opened to retort but nothing came out. Suddenly, with surprising speed, her wand came out and held level to his chest. Draco seeing this drew his own and watched her carefully.

"How can you be so cruel," Ginny hissed to him, her wand held steady despite the emotion in her voice.

Draco never got the chance to reply, because a loud cry to their right and the rushing of feet made them lower their wands. Snape and McGonagall hurried over to them looking furious at the both of them. Snape seemed to direct his anger more toward Ginny, Draco noted.

"You two," McGonagall said angrily. "Fighting will not stop this...predicament any sooner."

Aoria purred.

"I'm sure you're happy about it," Draco glared at the black cat, which just tilted its head at him.

"Have you figured anything out?" Ginny asked trying to change the subject, replacing her wand back in her robe. "Can this spell be broken?"

McGonagall allowed herself to let it be dropped and looked almost sadly at Ginny.

"There is no countercurse," Dumbledore's voice answered, as he approached the two and halting in-between Snape and McGonagall. "Its as Aoria said."

"'Until peace between two, become allies or love, the bonding together will then dissolve.'" Ginny sighed.

Dumbledore nodded his usual merry face serious and grave. "You're parents have been each sent owls to be informed on this. They should be along shortly, where we'll have to discuss the arrangements,"

"Arrangements?" Ginny asked weakly. Dumbledore nodded, and then turned to Hagrid who stood behind them a bit.

"Could you inform your friend of what happened, and see if they have any experience with this magic and also tell them we might have to keep Aoria around a while," he asked the caretaker.

Hagrid nodded briskly, his beard wagging with the movement. "Right away sir," and he disappeared from the Hall.

"Professor Snape, McGonagall, please figure out the sleeping arrangements and come to my office when these two parents come," the two teachers nodded, "Ginny and Draco, please come with me. We'll wait in the office."

Both nodded mutely and followed the Headmaster out of the hallway quickly. Before McGonagall left, she pointed at the ink spill and cleaned it up.

Aoria stood and stretched slowly, before padding off in the direction Draco and Ginny had gone.

"Ginny! What's wrong? What did you mean she's been linked to another student?" was Molly Weasley's words when she burst into the Headmaster's office. Ginny's father followed after, looking calmer but he looked over to his daughter with concern.

"Miss Weasley, please calm down. Everything will be answered once Draco's parents arrive," Dumbledore responded.

Molly blanched. "Draco?" she looked over at Ginny who was looking away in embarrassment. Beside her sat Draco, who watched Ginny's parents without emotion.

The door again opened, and in walked Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy, who immediately looked at Draco furiously. Ginny, who had looked up when they entered, noticed this and looked quickly over to Draco with a shocked look. Draco didn't even bat an eye when his parents entered. His gaze moved briefly to his father before they turned to his mother.

Narcissa had a calm look on her face. Much unlike the one she wore at the Quidditch World Cup which was the only other time Ginny had seen her. She nodded slightly to Draco before looking to her husband, who had now turned his furious gaze to Arthur.

"What did your daughter do, Arthur?" Lucius asked coldly.

"Ginny had no fault in this, just as your son has no fault," Dumbledore said, raising a hand at Lucuis as though to stay him. "It is a matter that cannot be reversed, we'll just have to let it run its course."

"What has happened to them, Albus?" Arthur asked, tearing his look from Lucius.

"I'm sure you've all learned of Aoria. The black cat who still lives and possess powers from ancient times. I believe she did her _catenatus_ bond on your two children," Dumbledore said, calmly.

_Catenatus?_ Ginny thought, looking confused. Her mother and father nodded, their faces grave. Lucius' look was turning again to one that held uncontrolled anger. Narcissa however, intervened before her husband said anything.

"There is no counter curse for it I heard. How long will it take for it to wear off?" she asked.

Dumbledore shook his head, "There is no telling. It depends on the two the spell is put on,"

"So what will they have to do? Come home?" Molly asked.

"My son will not be going home with your daughter," Lucius spat. 

"I wouldn't want your son in my house at all, Lucius," Molly responded, her smiling face lost of all mirth.

"They can continue their school year. There will have to be a few changes, such as the classes they will attend and where they will sleep," Dumbledore said.

"Um, professor?" Ginny asked in a small voice, just as he said this. All of the grown ups heads turned to her, causing Ginny to flush slightly but she continued, her voice coming out stronger. "How will me and...him sleep? We can't get much farther from each other than an our arm lengths apart."

"How indeed?" Molly shrieked.

A knock on the door saved Dumbledore from having to answer. At his bidding, it opened where Professor Snape and McGonagall walked in, both looking rather irate. Lucius nodded at Snape when he entered, and Ginny thought she saw Snape grimace.

"We've a room for them," McGonagall said finally. "It's near the Gryffindor tower, just down the hallway as a matter of fact, near mine."

Lucius straightened at this, he didn't look too happy. Snape saw this, "The Slytherin dungeons had no where suitable for either of them." he added.

"They will sleep in separate beds?" Molly asked.

"Mother!" Ginny cried. 

Molly gave her a hard look before looking sternly at McGonagall again. "Will they not?"

"We could try it, I'm not sure they have enough room between each other for separate beds. It would be inappropriate for them to sleep in the same bed. I will be able to arrange something," McGonagall reassured.

Molly nodded the worry in her face ebbing slightly. Lucius had now withdrawn all his emotion from his face, which reminded Ginny of Malfoy immensely.

"If there are anymore questions Professor Snape and I will be happy to answer them. Minerva will take them to their dorms to get their belongings," Dumbledore said.

"I would like to have a word with my son." Lucius said stiffly.

"Of course," Dumbledore nodded.

Lucius moved over to his son and bent low, talking quietly into his son's ear. Ginny, even though she was sitting close to Malfoy, couldn't hear a word he said. His expression on his face wasn't very pleasant, so she figured whatever he was telling his son wasn't very good. Lucius backed away when he was finished, and nodded to Dumbledore.

"Come along," McGonagall said, opening the door to the office.

As Ginny, sticking close to Malfoy so she wouldn't be dragged, passed her mother, she felt the reassuring pat on her shoulder from her mother.

"You behave yourself dear," Molly told her.

Ginny managed a weak smile before disappearing out the door.

McGonagall had opened the Slytherin common room and told them she would wait outside for them, and to be quick. Draco, not bothering to acknowledge what she said, hurried through the common room where many Slytherin's stared in surprise as Ginny half ran after him.

"Don't touch anything," Draco said immediately when they got into the boys dormitory. 

"I wasn't planning onto," Ginny snapped. Draco didn't answer her, just continued to his bed, where his things sat.   
Ginny stood next to his bed looking around the Slytherin room with interest. Much like Gryffindor, the house colors decorated the room and the bedding. Every bed was unmade and messy, except Malfoy's, she noticed. As he moved around, putting his personal things into his trunk, she also saw that he was very neat about what he did. 

The door to the dorm opened, and Crabbe, Goyle, and two other Slytherin boys she didn't recognize entered. They sneered at her before looking to Draco, who had stopped and looked up at their entrance.

"What is she doing here?" one of the boys asked.

"I'm stuck with her." Draco replied before finishing up packing his things. "Help me with this, Weasley."

Ginny, too frightened in being the only Gryffindor in a very unfriendly environment, helped him carry the trunk past the boys. Most of the Slytherin common room had been waiting for their arrival, and each wore the similar look of distaste when Ginny appeared.

"Draco!" Pansy's voice cried as she pushed her way to the front of the crowd. "What are you doing with _her_?"

"You'll hear all about it soon enough, Pansy." Draco sighed, irritated with the entire situation. They managed to make their way out of the Slytherin house to the waiting McGonagall, who placed a charm on it to make it weightless. It followed obediently behind them as they went to the Gryffindor tower.

"Get your things Ginny, I'll be here when you get back. I need to go take Draco's things to your new room." Professor McGonagall said, before opening the tower.

Ginny swallowed hard before stepping into the common room. Nearly the entire house was back from the afternoon classes, and it was very noisy when she stepped in. The instant Draco followed after her, everything went gradually quiet.

"Ginny," Ron said, standing up from where he sat looking very surprised.

"What are you doing in here, Malfoy?" Harry asked, furiously.

Ginny looked over at him Draco, looking pale. "Something's happened, I can't explain it now, we have to go."

"Where?" Ron asked.

Ginny shook her head and hurried toward where her dorm was, not bothering to check if Draco was with her.

"He actually spoke to you Weasley." Draco said, while she began to pack. "You should hang around me more often."

"I think I've been around you long enough as it is, Malfoy." Ginny sighed.

She finished packing quicker than Draco did, since no one came up to question what was happening. Though when they went back downstairs, all her brothers, Harry, and Hermione were waiting.

"You're not leaving here until you tell us what's happening." Fred said, when they halted in front of them.

"Look, guys, it's been a long day. I can tell you what happened at lunch, right now I just want to finish what we're doing." Ginny said, too tired to argue with them. All of them hesitated, and would have probably moved aside if Draco hadn't decided to jump in the conversation.

"Would you all bloody move, you're taking up the entire room here."

"What did you do to my sister Malfoy," Ron hissed, grabbing Draco by the front of his robes.

"I haven't done anything. It's her fault."

"It is not!" Ginny cried.

"Mr. Weasley let go of Mr. Malfoy right now." McGonagall yelled from the portrait.

"But Professor." Ron started.

"No buts, let him go now." 

Ron let go reluctantly of Draco's robes, and sneered at him. "You're going to get it."

Draco brushed off where Ron had grabbed onto, "Keep your filthy peasant hands off of me Weasel."

"This is where you'll be staying," McGonagall said opening the door to their room. It had taken her a moment to get Ron and his two brothers off Draco, who had luckily, came out unscathed. All four of them got a warning, before she trooped Ginny and Draco off to the room.

Their room was just large enough for both of them, with two beds that looked as though they were taken from the Gryffindor tower, a fireplace, a table, and a closed door near the window.

"That door leads to the bathroom," McGonagall said pointing to the closed one. "We've managed to get Aoria to give a spell to separate you two for fifteen minutes. It will only work three times a day so use them wisely."

Ginny nodded in relief at that, she thought of how mortifying it would have been to take a shower with Draco Malfoy standing in the same room with her. She giggled slightly wondering on what his face would be if she had to watch him. She saw him look at her out of the corner of her eye.

"You'll have the rest of the day to unpack and get used to your new place. You may come down to lunch and dinner if you'd like or you may have your meals up here for today, otherwise you'll be eating up here. Tomorrow you will be given the schedule you will take until this spell is broken." McGonagall said, she began out the door. "I'll leave you to do your work, behave yourselves."

When the door shut, Ginny and Draco stared at each other uneasily before moving toward their trunks where McGonagall had placed them at the foot of the beds. 

"The only way we'll be able to sleep in separate beds is to push them together," Ginny said thoughtfully. "Help me push mine against yours."

When the beds were arranged so they could sleep in them, they began to put away their belongings. Before long, it was dark out, and both of them were noticing how hungry they were.

"I missed lunch," Ginny groaned, "I promised I'd tell them at lunch, we have to go down to dinner, Draco."

Draco raised his eyebrow when Ginny called him by his first name. "What happened to Malfoy, my dear Weasley?"

Ginny blushed, realizing she did call him by his first name, thinking quickly she said, "I-I thought that since we have to break this spell by getting along, we should start with calling each other by our names. Not our surnames."

Draco recognized the lie for what it was; Draco didn't say anything for a moment, before nodding slightly. "I suppose it'd be for the best. I want this stupid spell to be done with already."

Ginny agreed with him, relieved he didn't suspect her fib and the two made their way down the Great Hall. The entire Hall was a low murmur when they approached it, but as they went through the doors, it rose to a buzz, and everyone at every table pointed at them.

Out of habit, Draco began for the Slytherin table, and Ginny for the Gryffindor, where she saw Hermione waving frantically, when suddenly she felt someone bump into the back of her. She turned and saw a frowning Draco.

"The same direction, Weasley." Draco snapped and he began for the Gryffindor table, surprising Ginny completely. She hurried after him before she got dragged, and sat in-between him and Hermione. The buzzing became louder at this, and Ron was glaring daggers at Draco.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, ignoring Draco. "What's up with you and Malfoy being around each other all the sudden."

With a deep breath, Ginny began to tell the story, from the time she bumped into Draco in the hall, which he received more glares for, to where they moved into their room. Draco didn't even seem to be listening. He picked at his plate, eating little, his look distant. 

"So you can't take it off? It has to wear off?" Harry asked when she finished.

"Yes, me and Draco have to get along before it leaves." Ginny said.

"That'd be a miracle." Hermione snorted. Harry and Ron were staring at Ginny with uncertain looks.

"Draco?" Ron asked.

"We can't get along by calling each other by our surnames, Weasley." Draco snapped suddenly. He stood quickly, and began to move toward the Slytherin table. Ginny wasn't ready for this, so she was dragged from her chair and after Draco before she could move.

"Speaking of surnames," Ginny snapped, when she caught up with him. "You haven't called me by my name since we've left the room. We agreed to and yet you still call me by my last name."

Draco didn't say anything, he continued toward the Slytherin table. Ginny grabbed him by the arm in front of the Hufflepuff table causing him to turn.

"Don't touch me," he growled, pulling away his arm.

"Then don't ignore me," Ginny cried.

"Quit pestering me then!"

"Say my name, Draco. I won't stop until you say my name, I will not allow you to call me Weasley anymore. Not unless you want to be stuck with me forever." Ginny yelled. Draco was quiet at this. The Hall was deathly silent, everyone listening intently on what was happening.

For a long time, Draco didn't even move, he just stared at her. After a while, Ginny began to wonder what he was thinking, before he blinked. "Ginny," he said softly. The sound of everyone letting out the breath they held followed her name. Draco looked around as though he just realized he was in a room full of people. "I want to go back to the room. Have you eaten?"

"I'm fine," Ginny said.

Draco didn't respond, he just turned and began for the doors, walking slowly so she could keep up.


	3. 3

Chapter Three: Aoria ****

Chapter Three: Aoria

Professor McGonagall was waiting for them when they arrived back at the room. She looked as though she were studying the position of the beds Ginny and Draco had arranged earlier. She turned quickly when the door closed behind them, and withdrew from her robe pocket a rolled up piece of parchment.

"We just received a letter from Hagrid's friend. The owner of Aoria." McGonagall said, beginning to unroll it.

"Do you think-" Ginny cut herself off, mentally telling herself to forget about asking whether a counter curse was possible.

"It reads," McGonagall began, "'Hagrid, I'm very shocked that Aoria would do such a thing, especially to young teenagers at this time. I can offer a weak excuse for her actions, which is, Aoria has been very bored and has had no reason to use her powers for many years. The situation between the two children you told me of is very similar to the work she did when she was more used in the past. At this time, I know nothing of a counter curse, but I will be sure to let you know if I hear anything helpful.'"

"So your basically telling us there's no hope." Draco said dully.

"You'll have to endure the spell," McGonagall said, "Dumbledore wished for me to read that to you. He would like you both to be informed on everything we're doing with this situation."

"Thank you, Professor." Ginny said, she glanced over at Draco, who was looking increasingly restless. "We came up here to go to sleep. Are the beds in a suitable sleeping arrangement?"

"It's not what your mother expected, but it's the best I can do at this time. I tried to use a separator charm and it wouldn't stick, only the spells that Aoria gives you seem to work." McGonagall said, sticking the parchment back into her robe pocket.

"Oh yes, and the spell for your fifteen minute break is just a wave of your wand and the incantation '_pausa_'." the Professor said before leaving them in an uncomfortable silence.

"I suppose I'll use the bathroom first," Ginny said after Draco made no move to say anything. At Draco's slight nod she pulled out her wand and swished it through the air "_Pausa_." she said. Draco didn't move, just looked at her when she checked to see if anything had happened.

"Walk to the bathroom," Draco told her.

Ginny shot him a look but did as he said, bracing herself to be either dragged back or Draco pulled into the back of her.

Nothing happened.

"It works," Ginny cheered, opening the bathroom door and walking in. It was a rather plain one, with a toilet, sink, a mirror, and a bathtub. Ginny's heart leapt to her throat when she at first couldn't see the showerhead, but after a minute of frantic searching, she spotted it. Pleased with what she saw, she ran out and got her toiletries then ran back into the bathroom, shutting the door after her.

Draco didn't even watch her inspect the bathroom. As soon as they'd made sure the spell worked her walked over to his bed, deciding to lie down while he waited for Ginny to finish. He cried out loud in surprise when he almost stepped on Aoria, who lay to the side of his bed.

"Ugh, what are you doing in here?" Draco grumbled, stepping over the cat and climbing into his bed. He lay on his back for a moment, before turning to face Ginny's bed. His gray eyes swept the distance between his bed and Ginny's it wasn't much. Sitting up he looked down at Aoria, who hadn't moved from where she laid. "We need a spell to be sure we don't roll over the top of each other in the middle of the night."

Aoria looked up at him, not saying anything. 

Draco waited, then not receiving a response repeated what he said, pointing to the lack of space in between them. "Her mum wouldn't be happy if she knew it would be that easy for her to get in my bed,"

"What makes you think I'd climb into your bed, Draco?" Ginny asked, walking out of the bathroom suddenly.

Draco smirked, "You think I'd let you get in my bed, Weasley?"

"Its, Ginny. I swear if you call me Weasley one more time I'll curse you." Ginny snapped, wrapping a towel around her hair.

"You're done in there then?" Draco asked, just as he felt himself being pulled off the bed and towards her.

"Yes, now do the spell and go away," Ginny said, walking toward her trunk, pulling Draco along for the ride as he pulled out his wand.

"_Pausa_," Draco twirled his wand. "Give me some time to do it,"

"You're slow," Ginny said simply, not looking up from what she was doing. She could practically see his sneer even with her back turned from him as he turned away from her and went into the bathroom. 

After changing into her nightclothes and brushing her hair, she made her way to the bed. The sound of Aoria's purring made her stop. Backing away from the two beds, she looked over them carefully. _Draco was right_, she decided finally. _Unless we held real still we'd roll all over each other during the night._

"Aoria," Ginny started, walking over to Draco's side. The black cat looked up at her, blinking slowly. "We need a spell for the beds, I do think Draco's actually right about something. That and my mum would be furious if she saw this."

Ginny swear she saw the cat smile, or maybe it was yawning, because it stood up and stretched elegantly before looking Ginny straight in the eye. 

"It could ruin the spell," Aoria's voice echoed in her mind.

"How?" Ginny asked out loud.

"Touch is a powerful thing, are you so sure that you can become friends with this young man without touch?"

"I don't have to touch him by sleeping on him!" Ginny cried.

"How do you plan on touching me, Ginny?" Draco asked, he was wearing his nightclothes. Ginny flushed at his question and shook her head.

"Aoria says we cannot become friends without touch," Ginny explained, though her face was still heated.

"This includes sleeping all over one another?" Draco asked, directing the question to the cat.

"Touch is a very powerful thing, but since you both insist so, I will give you a spell." Aoria's voice said. Ginny could only hear it in her mind; she glanced over at Draco, wondering if he heard.

"I'd prefer the wall over having to deal with this girls mother," she heard him mutter.

"Draco!"

"It's the truth," Draco said, looking somewhat serious. His gray eyes settled back on the cat. "What's the spell then?"

"Every night, before you go to bed, you must each tap the edge of each other's beds with your wands and a wall will prevent you from contact. It will disappear whenever any light touches it, so be careful with how you handle the lights after dark," Aoria said, then she padded away to the darkest corner in the room. 

"Seems simple enough," Ginny said going over to her trunk where she put her wand.

Draco always kept his wand with him at all times, so he got into his bed and tapped the edge. Ginny hurried onto hers then tapped the edge of hers quickly.

Nothing happened.

"Great wall," Draco said dryly.

"We might not be able to see it," Ginny said, raising her hands and feeling the air for any sort of invisible wall. She frowned after a moment of this, "Nothing, are you sure the spell works, Aoria?"

Both of the teenagers looked over to the cat, but neither could see it, and the sound of its even breathing told them it was asleep.

"Okay," Draco said slowly. "Maybe we'll have to sleep without a wall after all."

"Wait!" Ginny cried, "Let's try touching the edges together, at the same time. Ready?"

Draco nodded, and in synch they tapped the edges of their beds. Ginny could feel the air rush up in between them, but again there was nothing in between them to see.

Looking at Draco with a slight grin, she raised her hands and pushed them slowly foreword. They stopped midway, and wouldn't move. The spell had worked.

"Now that we're separated can we sleep?" Draco asked putting his wand under his pillow.

"Of course," Ginny said, getting out of the bed to turn off the lights.

Draco could hear her make her way slowly back to the bed, and crawl under the covers. The only sound was the Aoria's and their breathing, and faintly, the sound of some night bug.

"Goodnight Draco," Ginny said hesitantly. 

There was a surprised silence.

"Goodnight...Ginny." Draco said, a bit harshly, before closing his eyes and ears.

~

Ginny woke up as a habit around six o'clock the next day. At first, when she opened her eyes, she couldn't figure out where she was. Sitting up quickly she looked around, and spotting Draco it all rushed back to her. _I thought it was all a dream_, Ginny thought, running her hand through her messy hair. She crawled out from her covers and moved quickly to her trunk. 

It squeaked loudly when she opened it, making her grimace and glance over at Draco. He appeared to be asleep on his back, breathing deeply. Relieved she pulled out her robes, and began to undress.

"You really should get those oiled," Draco said suddenly making her head snap up to look at him. He had one eye open, his hands tucked behind his head, and a mischievous grin on his face.

"Draco!" was all Ginny could manage. She felt her face begin to heat up. "I'm undressing!"

"I gathered," Draco chuckled.

Ginny let out a noise that sounded strangely like a frightened mouse. "Well don't _look_ at me you...you peeping tom!" she cried, covering herself with the robes she clutched in her hands.

"Peeping tom?" Draco shouted with laughter, but he turned to his side facing away from her.

Ginny hurriedly finished dressing, her face still aflame. When she finished she saw Draco was facing her again, revealing nothing on his face.

"How long have you been turned around?" Ginny asked angrily.

"Not long," Draco said, but Ginny could swear she saw his lip twitch into a smile. "Would you like you or I to use the spell?"

"You can, since you were watching me." Ginny said, crossing her arms.

Draco shrugged, and performed the spell before disappearing into the bathroom with his robes.

Ginny jumped when Aoria rubbed up against her legs, which almost knocked her over since Aoria was a big cat. 

"He was looking at me when I wasn't paying attention wasn't he?" Ginny asked Aoria.

Aoria just grinned in her cat-like way.

Rolling her eyes Ginny began to gather her things for her classes, when Draco came out, clothed. He looked at her briefly before doing the same as she. 

"Do we just leave her in here?" Ginny asked waiting for him to finish.

"Aoria?" Draco asked. "I don't know, ask her."

"What do we do with you?" Ginny asked the black cat.

"Let me out with you. If you ever need me, call." Aoria said.

Ginny nodded, "Are you ready, Draco?" she inwardly winced. It would be hard to get used to calling Malfoy, Draco. Especially since they had to go down in front of all her peers.

"Let's go," he said, opening the door.

As they walked down to the Great Hall, Ginny kept giving him sidelong glances, wondering what he was thinking. _I wonder how hard it will be for him to act civil to me around other Slytherin's_, Ginny thought. Again as they moved through the doors of the Hall, the chatter rose to a frenzied buzz. Both of them halted and looked to each other at the same time.

"Er..." Ginny started, she looked over at her table. "Do you want to sit at your table?"

"I suppose," Draco said non-chalantly and started for the Slytherin's. Ginny followed after him, looking over again at the Gryffindor's who were watching her with a look of pity.

"Ugh, Draco." Pansy sighed scornfully when they sat down. "I'm so sorry you have to be stuck with her. I'd absolutely kill myself if I had to be."

"Shut up, Pansy." Draco responded, not looking at her. Ginny tried her best not to blush, and to not look miserable, but it was very hard when everyone at the table seemed intent on staring at her rudely.

Draco wasn't even looking at the food in front of him. As soon as he had sat down at the table and Pansy had spoken, his hunger vanished. He didn't even look over at Ginny to check if she was eating, he just sighed and asked, "Are you finished yet Ginny?"

"Ginny?" Pansy's voice asked, making Draco inwardly cringe.

"That's my name you dolt," Ginny hissed from where she sat.

Pansy sneered at her, "People who don't mean anything, have no names." she said simply. 

Draco could feel Ginny beside her stiffen, "You better shut your trap, Pansy." Ginny said.

"Or you'll what, Weasley?" Pansy asked drawing out the name.

With a rattle of plates Ginny's wand was out and pressing against Pansy's forehead. "Give me reason," Ginny said in an amazing calm voice. Draco looked over at her in surprise. "Say anything, Pansy, I'll do it."

"You'll get in trouble," Pansy said, but her voice quivered.

"It'll be worth it," Ginny snapped.

"Miss Weasley!" Snape's voice rang out. Ginny didn't even flinch; her wand remained pressed against Pansy's forehead.

"Yes Professor Snape?" Ginny asked, her eyes never leaving her target.

"Remove your wand this instant!" Snape shouted, his voice was getting closer.

Ginny opened her mouth to respond when she felt a hand on her wrist, pulling it away. She turned quickly to see who it was, and went face to face with Draco. 

"Don't," Draco said, letting go of her.

Ginny stared at him in shock, her mouth open and her wand handing falling to her side.

"Weasley!" Snape thundered when he reached him, many other Professor's following after him.

~

Ginny didn't even look at Draco throughout the rest of the day. They went to their classes in a different schedule, all of them Draco's level. They alternated classes, Transfiguration with Gryffindor, Herbology with Slytherin, Care of Magical Creatures with Gryffindor, Divination with Slytherin, and so on. Slytherin's were with the Gryffindor's in Potions so Ginny forced Draco to sit besides her brother and his friends. Snape looked at her with an almost identical look he usually reserved for Harry.

Draco was also now upset over Quidditch, being that he had to be kept at Ginny's side and she at his; he couldn't be the Seeker for the Slytherins. Neither had looked at one another the entire day and both had almost gotten a detention from Snape from Ginny's actions earlier today if it hadn't been for Draco. He'd told Snape that Pansy had provoked her, and he knew that the Professor wouldn't give Ginny a detention. Then he'd be giving Draco a detention as well.

Along with that, Professor McGonagall had banned them from eating down in the Great Hall until the spell was broken. The dining wear up in their room was enchanted to be served on time with the rest of the school. After the Potion's class, Ron, Hermione, and Harry had raced over to Ginny to speak with her about that morning.

"You should've cursed her," Ron said, after hearing their punishment. "You wouldn't have gotten a detention, not with Malfoy attached to you."

Ginny didn't say anything.

"It's great now that your in some of our classes with us though, Ginny." Harry said. Ginny smiled slightly at him, and Draco sighed.

"Can we go now?" Draco rolled his eyes.

Ron glared at him; "We're not done,"

"But I am," Draco snapped and began to walk away quickly. Ginny shot Draco a dark look to his back, then an apologetic one to her friends as she was dragged after him.

"You are such a jerk!" she cried when they reached their room.

Draco didn't even look at her, he kept his back turned to her and moved towards the window.

"Draco,"

He didn't move.

"Draco, look at me."

When he didn't respond she strode over to him and pushed him roughly so he faced her. His normally light gray eyes were dark, like angry storm clouds. They reflected the mood he was in.

"Is it even important?" Draco asked rudely.

"What is your problem?" Ginny asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"What?" Draco raised his eyebrows.

"You have a problem with me?"

"Ginny..."

"Do you? Cause I'm fed up with this crap your putting me through! You treat me like...a nobody in front of your Slytherin...friends, and then you pull me away from mine! Why can't you just be civil and try to get along with me? I don't want this to go on anymore than you do, but you're not solving the situation with your attitude,"

"I didn't have anything to do on what happened this morning," Draco snapped.

"Exactly! Do you think friends just sit around and let other people push them around and be rude to them? Is that your idea of friendship? Because if it is it's pretty warped." Ginny cried. 

"I stopped you before things got out of hand. You were handling everything pretty well before that,"

"What, pulling my wand on Pansy wasn't out of hand?"

"I was actually hoping you would curse her, turn her into a toad or something. It would be an improvement." Draco said, a small grin on his lips.

"That's not funny," Ginny said, but her look softened and she smiled.

"I stopped you only because Dumbledore was there, otherwise I would've let you do whatever you'd like to her. She's a real wimp when confronted, if you've asked, she'd apologized on her knee's for you." Draco told her.

Ginny nodded, suddenly deep in thought. Draco turned back to the window, and looked out at the darkening sky. "What was wrong back outside the dungeon?"

"What?"

"Why did you walk away from them like that?" Ginny asked, studying the side of his face turned to her. 

"Potter?" Draco snorted, "Do you really even need to ask that?"

"My brother was the only one being really rude, but you have to understand he's a bit over protective. It's very annoying sometimes, but Hermione and Harry..." Ginny stopped, and looked to the window suddenly. "Do you hate my family because we're not as wealthy as you?"

"Huh..." was all he could get out.

"You tease my family about having no money, and not jokingly. You're father always makes rude comments to my dad whenever they meet. What is it with that, Draco? Why?" Ginny faced him, a look of true hurt on her face.

Draco was floored at the question. Why indeed? Draco could only stare at her as his mind raced for an excuse to his actions and words he's said through the years. In truth, there was nothing to say that would comfort her. He'd said those things, just to hurt them, for the pleasure to see the anger and the pain that would show, naked, on their faces. His dad was always that way; even to him he was always criticizing Draco on how everyone and everything seemed to be better than _him_.

"I don't know," Draco said lamely, and he looked away. There was a long pause.

"I understand," Ginny said softly.

"No you don't," Draco said suddenly, his jumbled feelings turning to anger. "You don't understand anything about me."

"Not always," Ginny said, looking to him. Her brown eye's no longer held confusion or hurt, just understanding and compassion. 

Draco looked away, he'd never seen anyone look at him like that, and in truth it almost frightened him. "I'm going to bed," he said coldly.

He could make out Ginny's nod, and her doing the spell before going to her trunk to get her night things.

~

Aoria was wriggling on her back with happiness after watching the confrontation between the two moments before. Having the ability to go invisible at will had its advantages. Aoria straightened when the girl crawled into her bed and pulled the covers to her chin stiffly. The boy wasn't even looking at her, he just pulled his robes over his head, undid the tie and the shirt before crawling into the bed. She almost laughed when she saw the blush on the girl's face from him undressing in front of her.

They both did the wall spell before they magiked the lights out, and turned away from one another. Oh this was about as good as the last couple of teenagers she did _catenatus_ too. Aoria moved silently over to her corner. A bit more dramatic, she had to admit, but still very good.

~

_ He wears boxers!_ Were Ginny's thoughts, much to her embarrassment. _Don't all boys? Well except for the ones who wear regular underwear but, oh, he wears boxers..._ Ginny let a muffled groan into her pillow, and turned to face the wall. Draco's back was facing her, and she could tell he was still awake. _Why is it so difficult for him to answer simple questions?_ She asked herself, staring at his naked back. _There's always a reason for someone to be so horrible. I mean, he is actually human, he can **smile**, and he can even joke around..._

Ginny closed her eyes quickly when she saw Draco move. When she didn't hear him moving around anymore she peeked through her eyelashes. He was now on his back; his eyes open, staring at the ceiling, arms behind his head. He didn't look as though he could sleep either.

_Now he's going to be all pissed about me asking about what's wrong with his attitude,_ Ginny thought scornfully, still watching him. _His best answer was 'I don't know,' what kind of answer is that?_ But of course no one could answer her, except maybe herself and Draco if she ever thought of asking again. When she had spoken of her brother the thought of how he was always spiteful to her family had intruded her thoughts, and somehow the question that had always nagged her popped out. She could tell by the shocked look on his face when he'd looked at her she'd surprised him by asking that. There must have been an excuse for his actions and his words. 

And when he had answered 'I don't know,' somehow she had a feeling of understanding. He was confused and had no answers; he had never ever been questioned on his actions. Then he had turned on her, being cold, the old Malfoy she remembered from the first day she was bound to him.

"Draco," Ginny started before she could stop herself.

"Ginny," Draco said at the same time. They both glanced over at each other and gave each other a nervous smile.

"Go ahead," Ginny said.

"We have to get along for this spell to be done with, and well, I'm...sorry about earlier. Yelling at you and pulling you away from your brother, and not being the...friend you expected me to be." Draco said quickly.

There was a long pause between this, causing Draco to regret saying anything.

"Thank you," Ginny said suddenly. She looked over at him, his body having an almost white outline in the darkness. "And I didn't mean to bring anything up that upsetted you, sometimes I say things or ask things I shouldn't. And I'm sorry about Quidditch."

Draco nodded relieved. And as they said goodnight to each other and closed their eyes to go to sleep, the doubts that had been nagging him on what his father asked, increased. Draco sighed loudly, and turned away from Ginny. He didn't know what to do.

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews, we were all very pleased with them. Spending the time in our private chat trying to figure out ways Draco and Ginny could drive each other nuts was great fun!

Hermione Gulliver: Thanks for reviewing both of our chapters!

C.B.: I know isn't it great? I love the idea myself, hehe, so I guess that'd explain why I'm helping out with the writing ^_^

Crunk-Angel07: Thanks for the review!

Princess of Mordor: Thank you!

Megan: I'm glad you like it J 

JK: Thank you for both of the reviews, our BETA reader is on vacation and any suggestions you give us are a great help!

Kristen of Mistallia: Mmm catching one another in the shower? Ooh, think I'll mention that at the next meeting.

Segev: Thank you for your comments! Poor Draco doesn't know what's wrong with him…I think he's actually feeling human for the first time J 

MochaButterfly: Glad you enjoyed it! I'll only write more if you write more of your sequel! No kidding thanks for the reviews girl!

Again thank you from everyone, we're having a great time with this story!


	4. 4

Chapter Four: A Kiss ****

Chapter Four: A Kiss?

Neither of them attended the Halloween Feast. Due to the amazing amount of jeers both of them got whenever they were seen together, it was decided that it would be best if they stayed in their room. As the year went on and it drew to Christmas vacation, the owls began to come in both to Dumbledore and Ginny and Draco. Most were asking if the spell had broken and if they could go home for the Holiday's. They were sent back with the same response, 'There is no sign of it ending. They are still bonded together.'

Draco received a howler when they were eating dinner a week before the holiday vacation. Ginny did the spell and left down for the Gryffindor common room to let him hear it in peace. She couldn't make out the words, but they didn't sound very encouraging, or nice.

It was decided from both of the parents, that they would stay at the school for the vacation. Ron delivered a letter to his mother telling her Harry, Hermione, and he were planning on staying to keep her company. No one of course stayed back for Draco.

The morning of Christmas was awoken with Ginny's shouts of laughter for Draco. He rolled over to look at her sleepily as she dug through her many presents. In her hands was a small mechanical bird that made a cooing noise and twitching little wings that looked strangely like the small owl that delivered her letters. On it was a tag that read: With love, Fred and George.

"Draco," Ginny said when she noticed him watching her. "Get your presents! Open them!"

Draco almost smiled, but instead he leaned over and gathered his presents and set them on his lap. Ginny must had gotten up before him because she was nearly finished when he was about halfway through. The morning sun was shining into their window, lighting the room considerably. Ginny crawled over towards Draco and picked up one of his unwrapped presents.

"What's this?" she asked, turning it around in her hands. It was a funny top shaped thing made of shiny silver, when she pressed the button it hovered in her hand, lying still.

"The new sneakoscope," Draco said taking it from her.

"That's nice," Ginny continued, leaning down to stare at one of his wrapped presents, "Who gave it to you?"

It took Draco a moment to answer, since he was staring almost transfixed at Ginny's copper hair that fell over her shoulders as she leaned over. "My mother," he said finally. Ginny sat up a cheerful smile on her face.

He continued to unwrap his presents in silence, Ginny watching silently beside him, occasionally picking up one to look at and ask a question about.

"Draco," Ginny began when he finished and began to put away his presents.

"Yes?"

"I got this for you," she said handing him a small box wrapped in silver paper. "Well Ron got it for me, but it was for you."

Draco took it, and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "He doesn't know," she added hastily. A smile escaped her lips. "Open it."

Draco carefully unwrapped the paper; a black leather box with a gold clasp, in gold letters on it read 'Draco'. 

"That's the name of the manufacturers." Ginny said when she noticed him studying it. "I thought it'd fit."

Draco smirked, and opened the box. Inside sat a miniature dragon made of silver. It's eyes were a glittering red, and it stood proudly, claws outstretched and mouth open, showing its long fangs.

"It's made of silver, and the eyes aren't real rubies, but they look like them. I saw this in one of my mum's books once and I knew Hogsmeade had them so I asked Ron to pick it up for me," Ginny said this quickly, she was red in the face and looking down at her hands. _I can't believe I gave him that_, she thought.

Draco however was in shock. He looked from the miniature dragon to Ginny's bowed blushing head. "Thanks..." he said, which surprised him even more.

Ginny looked pleased with the response though. "You're welcome, do you like it?"

"Yes, it's...nice Ginny." Draco managed, "I didn't get you anything though."

"That's fine, I didn't expect you would. I never thought about it until the last moment," Ginny smiled. "Touch it with your wand."

Draco didn't ask questions, he reached under his pillow and touched the silver figurine lightly with his wand. It twitched then looked up at him, its sparkling red eyes blink slowly. Then it jumped on his arm and bit him hard.

"Ouch!" Draco cried, throwing the dragon off onto the bed. It landed and stood up, stretching its wings indignantly.

Ginny was laughing hysterically, until it bit her toe as well. "What an imp!" she shrieked after prying it off, much to Draco's mirth. 

After putting away their presents and dressing, Ginny managed to convince Draco to go to the Gryffindor common room, so she could see her brother. Hermione was coming down from the girls dormitory, dressed, but didn't notice them until she was on the steps to the boys' room.

"Where are you going Granger?" Draco asked, he winced when he felt Ginny's elbow drive into the side of him. "What?"

"Her name's Hermione!" Ginny cried.

"I only have to get along with you, woman. Not Granger." Draco grinned; he received a slap on the arm.

"Fine only for Christmas, you have to treat all of my friends like you treat me," Ginny said.

"No," Draco said, turning serious. "If that includes Potter, no."

"Draco," Ginny warned. Draco gave her a hard look, which she returned. "For my Christmas present you forgot?"

Draco blanched, "Don't try to blackmail me into it!" he groaned.

"Yep, for my present. Or you'll owe me, and I know you don't want to owe a Weasley anything."

Draco grew silent, and then nodded his agreement. Hermione had watched the whole thing open mouthed and snapped it shut when they looked to her.

"I-I was going to see the boys," Hermione said quickly.

"Being a Prefect and breaking the rules?" Draco said, as they climbed the steps. He heard Hermione cough angrily.

"Its vacation," Ginny answered for her. Draco didn't respond.

The day continued, Ginny was enjoying herself the entire time. She laughed and joked with her friends, Harry especially seemed to want to talk to her. A few other students from the other houses that had stayed behind got to know them all, most being first and second years, became louder than any of them. Draco stood or sat beside Ginny the entire time, quiet and watchful. As the night came on, they all went up to their common rooms, Draco and Ginny to Gryffindor with the others.

Harry left shortly after then returned with butterbeer for all, including Draco, and a few other sweets. They all, except Draco, sat around the fire talking and laughing. The night became darker, and Draco steadily became agitated. The whole feeling in the room was very unfamiliar to him, the joy and close friendship between them all. That and he had to avoid saying any of their names since he made that promise to Ginny. 

His gray eyes narrowed when Harry leaned over and whispered something into Ginny's ear, which made her face light up and her laugh rise above the others. She didn't even realize it, too overjoyed with the fact that Potter was actually speaking to her. Draco took a pull from his butter beer finishing it off. He tossed the drained bottle into the empty chair beside him. He tried to look at anything else but Potter and Ginny, but somehow his eyes always were drawn back to them. 

Ginny would flip her hair and smile brilliantly at him, and Potter would return it, with some witty remark since she would always laugh. It disgusted him. Draco closed his eyes briefly, then stood.

"I'm going," Draco said harshly, causing Ginny to look up at him.

"Stay with us Draco, you've hardly said anything," Ginny said still smiling, her eyes twinkling with laughter. Caused by...him...

"I'd prefer to go," Draco snapped, he drew his wand and performed the spell. The smile and laughter faded from Ginny's face as he stormed out.

"Draco!" Ginny called, beginning to stand, but a hand on her arm stopped her.

"Let him go," Harry told her.

Ginny looked at him hesitant, then with a nod, sat back down and tried to push Draco Malfoy from her mind.

Draco was standing by the window when she got back to the room. He'd left long before her and she'd done the spell since he'd left. And when he didn't move to regard her, she wondered if he'd been waiting for her.

"I didn't mean to make you wait," Ginny said beginning to move over to him, "You could've gone to bed without me."

"Not unless you'd mind sleeping on top of me," Draco's voice said devoid of emotion.

"Oh, the spell..." Ginny trailed off, noticing his tensed shoulders. "Is something wrong?"

"Are you so blind?" Draco said, he turned to look at her, his eyes cold. Ginny shivered at his look. "Are you really that naive?"

"What are you talking about, Draco?" Ginny asked.

"Tonight, at the common room. You and Potter?"

"I was just talking, what's the harm in that?" Ginny cried defensively.

Draco smirked, "Oh just talking, that's what you call it,"

"I wasn't doing anything wrong," Ginny snapped. 

"If that was just talking then I must have been taking Pansy wrong all year," Draco said, not listening to her. "You know, I don't understand why Potter does that. Is it because he can't have one of his loyal...admirers have feelings for anyone else?"

Ginny's mouth dropped open, but Draco wasn't finished.

"Or maybe I'm wrong, I'm just misinterpreting these things, you seemed to fall for him rather quick."

"Draco!" Ginny cried.

"Never mind, just go." Draco snapped, turning around.

Ginny stood there, her mouth still open, her eyes wide. At first she planned on walking over to apologize and talk to him, but she found herself out the door and leaning heavily against it. She closed her eyes with a low groan. "What have I done?"

"Ginny?" Harry's voice asked. Ginny sat up straight, and saw Harry coming towards her.

"What are you doing here, Harry?" Ginny asked weakly, not in the mood to talk.

"You left you're butter beer in the common room I thought you might have wanted it..." Harry said, he wasn't looking her in the eye.

"Thanks," Ginny said, taking the bottle from him. She looked down at it, a familiar stinging feeling starting in the corner of her eyes. 

"Are you crying?" 

Ginny shook her head, "No," she snapped, wiping away the tears that had escaped from her eyes. "I'm fine."

"What happened? What's wrong?" Harry asked.

Ginny shook her head again. "Nothing Harry, I just got into a fight with Draco and...I want to be alone. I can't talk about it right now." 

Harry looked hurt, and Ginny regretted she had said that. "Are you sure?"

"No," Ginny sniffed. "I'm not sure about anything right now,"

"What did he say to you in there?" Harry asked.

"Things..." Ginny said, she looked down at her feet. "Things I never thought of, but I always wanted..."

"Like?"

"The feelings I have for someone, that they might feel the same way toward me?" Ginny said, she looked up at Harry's brilliant green eyes. "Or maybe it's just my wanting, and that person really doesn't feel that way for me."

Harry was staring at her hard, and the two stood there, in the darkened hallway with the whispering of paintings and the settling of the old castle creaking around them. Ginny finally pushed herself from the door. "I need to talk to Draco, thank you for talking with me Harry," she said.

But suddenly, she found Harry pulling her toward him, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his lips to hers. Ginny's eyes widened with surprise, and then instinctively closed and found herself kissing back. She felt her hear leap into her throat, and butterflies fluttering in her stomach, and the thought running through her mind, _Oh my god, he's kissing me! Harry Potter!_ And then suddenly they disappeared, the feeling the thought. Something was on the edge of her mind and consciousness. _No_, the thought came. _This isn't right..._

And then she heard the sharp intake of breath._ Draco..._

_I shouldn't have said that_, Draco thought furiously to himself as he looked out the window. _I shouldn't have told her what I felt, that was so stupid of me!_ He slammed his fist down on windowsill and glared angrily at the moon. "Stupid, stupid girl," he hissed. 

She had left the room at his request; she hadn't came and talked to him. He had expected her to, it was just the Ginny-like thing to do, but she didn't she left him. Just like she had left him alone up here, rather spend time back with Potter than him. And he had practically told her how he had felt about her and what he thought she'd felt for him.

He closed his eyes and let his forehead fall lightly onto the cool windowpane. He didn't plan on saying those things; it wasn't like him to reveal his feelings to anyone. He just wanted to do the spell and brood in silence, let her try and pry out what had been bothering him, but when she had came in the room... She acted as though she didn't even realize he was angry, or he would be. And to top it off, she didn't notice how Potter had gave her the amazing amount of attention. Something she must have craved dearly, since she had risked the ending of the spell just for him. 

Draco shook his head, he needed to sleep on this, to think about what was going to happen. He walked over to the door and opened it quickly. "Ginny..." he began then stopped with a sharp gasp.

Ginny had her arms wrapped around Potter, and his arms were around her waist. They were kissing! A number of emotions ran through him right at that moment, so many he almost fell over from the feeling. When she turned to him, her eyes wide and a look of guilt on her face he settled on the one he was most familiar with. Anger.

"Draco! It's not what you think!" she cried. 

He just stared at her coldly, at loss for words. Instead he tossed the most horrible look he could conjure over to Harry before turning on his heel and going back into the bedroom.

Ginny didn't even say anything to Harry, just rushed in after Draco and shut the door. The noise of a click determined she locked it. Harry just stood there dumfounded.

"Draco," Ginny said, turning from the door. "I'm sorry, it wasn't what you thought it was."

"No?" Draco asked, "it looked as though you were kissing him Ginny." 

"I was kissing him," she stopped and closed her eyes. "He was kissing _me_, I didn't expect him to, I was upset and he came along..."

"So you kiss guys when you're upset? Wonderful," Draco said. 

"No!" Ginny said. "No, not like that. I was upset about things you said to me..."

"Which were true," Draco interrupted.

"Which were true," she said, rewarded with a surprised look from Draco, but it disappeared quickly. "And Harry started talking to me. I was going to come back in and...He kissed me..."

"He kissed you..." Draco repeated. 

"Yes,"

"And you didn't kiss him back? You didn't enjoy it?"

"I...didn't...enjoy it," Ginny said, blushing. 

"I'm not convinced," Draco frowned.

"I kissed him back," Ginny admitted. A disgusted snort made her continue, "but only for a minute, then I pulled away but you came just before I did."

"You pulled away because I came," Draco corrected.

"No..."

"Yes, if I hadn't have walked in on your...snogging session, I'm sure you'd be out there still latched to Potter's lips." Draco accused.

"I wouldn't Draco! I don't like him!"

"No? You didn't enjoy that kiss at all? Not even for a moment?"

"No!"

Draco raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yes...no...I did, for a moment." 

Draco got into his bed and turned away from her.

"But it was only a moment...Draco...you don't understand."

"I do, go to bed Ginny." 

"Draco..." Ginny pleaded, but he didn't answer. With a sigh Ginny turned off the lights and crawled into the bed beside him. She faced her back to his, griping the sheets tightly. "You don't understand..." she whispered. Draco still didn't answer.

~

Draco was numb. His entire body, his emotions, were just...numb. He couldn't feel and right now he didn't want to feel. He was stupid, just as his father had told him his entire youth, he was stupid to even think what he did. To even let himself feel for her like he had. And Potter yet again, had something he didn't. Draco gritted his teeth and closed his eyes tight. Bright lights behind his eyelids flashed and he opened them briefly. 

The moon was out, and shining down on him, he lifted a hand toward it noticing how it tinted his skin a light blue. It made it look almost surreal.

Just like what had been happened nearly a half-hour ago. Unable to stop himself he turned to look at Ginny.

Her back faced him, but she was breathing evenly. She slept, though she was curled in a ball, and her head looked as though it were bowed. Her bright red hair took the blue tint of the moon, making it shimmer in the dark.

He leaned a hand over and touched it, not realizing he was. He stared at her for a long moment, wondering how he could let himself be hurt by her, and how he had even dreamed of feeling something for this girl. Then he drew his hand back, unconcerned with the fact the wall wasn't up and closed his eyes. He fell asleep soon after.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews :0) 

MochaButterfly, Trunks_Goku_DBZ, Hermione Gulliver, Amanda Mancini, *~*GinnyPotter*~*, Kristen of Mistallia, W&M_law!

P.S. does anyone else get a little box that asks you to put in you're name and password to do anything in FF.Net?


	5. 5

A/N: The tragedies we experienced this week were very devastating to people around the world

A/N: The tragedies we experienced this week were very devastating to people around the world. My heart and prayers go out to all that have loved ones there, and I pray they are safe.

This week has been very hectic for us all, not only did I lose contact to many involved writing this story, but I also didn't know if they are all right. Thankfully, they are, but they took the time out to finish the summaries of the story, and requested I finished writing it without them. So I'll do my best, with the help of the ones that can still…I hope you all will like it. Regan's the cute little lines you'll get out of Draco, and we did an Author's Final Note so we'll post up chapters quick for you. Thank you all for your reviews and support!

A/N 2: It has now been proven that Alana can NOT work out how to use Fanfiction.Net or figure out the difference between a rough draft and a final draft… Yes, that means you guys read the ROUGH DRAFT of chapter 4! So let it be known Alana is a dork ^_^ and she humbly apologizes and has been suspended of taking over while I'm gone. -sigh- what would those people do without me?? 

Arg, yes well Alana's and I humble apologies for the incident, so I might re-post Chapter 4 if you want me to, but you have to review it, hehehehe. Yes there's always a catch…anyway…

****

Chapter 5: Of Honor and Duty

Ginny looked down at herself. The room was pitch black, and somehow she found that she was standing, her nightgown brushing the cold wood floor gently. Did she sleep walk? Ginny rubbed her eyes and squinted around the room, it was total darkness all around her. She put a hand in front of her face, peering hard. She could only make out a faint pale outline of it, and as she pulled it away, it disappeared totally. 

"Draco?" she called, but it only came out in a hoarse whisper. Suddenly a light illuminated the cracks of a closed door in front of her. Where was she? The sound of fire on the other side made her hesitate, she watched as the light flickered on the wood floor steadily. Her heart was racing as she moved toward it, and pushed it open slowly.

Two high-backed chairs sat facing the door, a decent space in-between them, and behind them both was a very large fireplace. The fire roared brighter when she walked in, and the shadows covered the faces of the two people who sat at the chairs. Ginny gasped when she could make out who they were.

Harry sat to her left, looking very pale and sweat dotted his forehead, to her right sat Draco, who looked at her coolly totally at ease with the blazing heat from the fire. Each looked at her waiting expectantly, the bright green ones bright and meaningful, the silver clouded and worried.

_I have to choose_. As the thought ran through her head, the fire died down slightly, confirming her guess. The room began to cool rapidly each step she took towards them, perfectly in between the two chairs. Neither's condition nor look changed when she halted in front of the, nervous. She didn't understand why she was doing this, she didn't even know what was going on, but something told her to take the hand of the one she chose.

She raised her right hand and it paused as it moved toward Draco. Her gaze sidled back to Harry, who watched, still looking pale, still looking sick. Her hand moved toward Harry, her heart racing. "He's sick, he needs my help," she could hear herself whisper aloud as if condolence to Draco, whose gray eyes still pierced into her back. As she took hold of Harry's clammy hand, the fire blazed again, hotter and higher than before. A high pitch wail began from inside it, making her ears ring and her vision to swirl.

A hand grabbed her wrist and jerked her around. She stared up at the gray eyes of Lucius Malfoy, who smiled triumphantly as he pointed to his son, who sat at the chair, his face hidden again by shadow from the fire. And he began to laugh, a high pitch laugh that didn't match him at all. "Stop it!" Ginny screamed, trying to jerk her hand from his grasp.

And then she found herself being pulled away, by Harry. Her look never left Lucius though, even as he began to fade and Harry's other hand took her now empty one. "Ginny," she heard Draco whisper.

Ginny jerked awake with a loud gasp. Her body was so tense that every muscle in her body screamed when she tried to sit up, so she let herself fall back to the pillow. _It was a dream_, she thought, feeling the fluttering of her heart slow slightly. _Holy mother of Merlin._ Ginny shuddered as she recalled the wailing and Lucius' laugh, the dream was too vivid, to real. 

And the fire, the heat, that had warmed her whole body, and the feeling of Harry's cold hands. She felt it then, the feeling of someone's hand on hers. The tense feeling began again, _it was a dream,_ she thought to herself furiously, _and it wasn't real_. But the hand in hers wouldn't go away, even after she closed her eyes tightly and counted to ten.

Slowly, she turned to the side to see what was in her hand, and came face to face with the last person she thought she ever would while laying in her bed.

Draco.

Ginny's mouth opened in surprise but no noise came out. He lay on his stomach, facing her way barely a breath apart, his eyes closed in sleep. Ginny pulled away her hand from his slowly, but didn't move away from him. Even in his sleep he looked like the cold Draco. That or he was dreaming something unpleasant. His mouth was in a grimace, his brow furrowed slightly, and she could feel how tense his body was from as close she was to him. Ginny's eyes drifted over his face, realizing that they'd forgotten to put the wall up the night before. 

Very slowly, she rolled away from him and off the bed and performed the spell. Draco remained asleep so she dressed and went to the old table that was used for dining and working. The plate was filled and the food was still warm when she began to eat. She didn't notice Draco stir before he sat down at the chair across from her. Unable to help herself, she looked over at him and his state. He had a bed head, she almost giggled out loud but the look on his face told her he would not enjoy that, and he hadn't bothered to dress. He was still in his boxers he usually slept in. 

Ginny looked away quickly when he raised his head toward her. The angry pang from last night was still with her, and she hadn't really had time to think over how to talk to him. _Now,_ she thought to herself, taking a sip of her juice, _is definitely not the time, judging by his looks._

The beginning of the breakfast was very quiet, until after the fifteen minutes passed Ginny found her chair scraping its way closer to Draco. She finally met Draco's gaze a confused look on her face. The table had been found that fit the right length for them to eat on opposite sides, with the spell on, so why was it pulling it towards him?

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked finally when it came to a halt when they sat elbow to elbow. Draco was looking down at her, no emotion showing in his pale eyes.

"Was I sleeping in your bed?" he asked suddenly.

Ginny gaped at him, "W-what?" 

"I woke up in your bed, were you sleeping next to me?"

"Yes," Ginny said, she felt her face flush. "We forgot about the spell last night,"

Draco grimaced as if she had said something very unpleasant and he went back to his food, ignoring the fact that he and Ginny were stuck very close together, and Ginny looked very uncomfortable with him sitting in just his boxers.

Ginny shifted in her seat and looked away, her mind going over their fight the night before, thinking desperately of something to tell him to make him believe her. Harry. He'd kissed her. Ginny unconsciously blushed at the thought. She had practically told him that she wanted him to tell her he had feelings for her, but instead he kissed her. Harry Potter. The one she wanted to kiss since the year she started Hogwart's. Always the fourth in their group, there but not really included. Ginny had been content with that, watching, wishing, and Harry had seemed to not even notice.

Then she's suddenly stuck by the side of his enemy, Draco Malfoy, and she becomes the object of his affection. Ginny closed her eyes, she couldn't figure out what to do, or how she felt about Harry. He confused her even more the night before. 

Or had that been Draco that confused her?

Ginny inwardly chuckled at her one-person conversation. Draco last night had said he had feelings for her, right? Or he was upset because Harry is showing feelings for her since she's with him now? It was all to confusing for Ginny, and so deep into thought she didn't see Draco stand and move toward his trunk until she was pulled off the chair and dragged across the floor with him.

"Draco you creep!" Ginny cried after realizing what had happened to her.

Draco didn't answer, he pulled on his shirt and tied his tie quickly. He stepped over her to get his robes, causing her to shut her eyes since she was lying on the ground. She didn't want to give Draco the smug satisfaction of her staring at any part of the body of his that she shouldn't have been looking at, especially at that time. Ginny managed to climb to her feet when he had adjusted his robes to fit him comfortably. She gave him a cross look when he looked at her, her mouth pursed.

His silver eyes swept over her for a moment before he moved to the door quickly, leaving Ginny no choice but to follow.

Ginny was thoroughly miserable before their lunch break. Since neither wanted to speak to one another, Ginny used the spell again to separate them for the beginning of class. Draco didn't use his after it wore off, so she was forced to sit beside him, elbow to elbow. Neither of them knew why they were so close together all the sudden, and neither wanted to ask the other about it. So they sat in silence, watching the teacher stonily, bodies tense whenever their robes would brush against the others.

In Charms with the Gryffindor's, Ginny's face fell when she remembered most of the chairs had been lodged into the floor. The charms they were learning tended to send objects not connected to the ground flying, if done wrong. Every chair had a good space in between them. Draco had given her a murderous look she told him this, and he stood with her. Much to the classes amusement (but certainly not Ron's or Harry's for that matter), Ginny forced Draco to sit down so she could sit on his lap. Flitwick had certainly been surprised at this, and both had to explain hurriedly. Draco was glad he didn't blush as obviously as Ginny.

Lunch was a relief to them both, and the spell hadn't given them much room still. It was over too quickly, but after hours dragged by, finally they were dismissed to their room for dinner. So with jolts and stepped on toes, they made it to their room and the food that waited for them. The chairs remained where they had left them that morning, the beds still unmade (the House Elves were unpermitted her by request of Draco's father), and Draco's and Ginny's trunks open. The noticed with surprise that Aoria had finally made her appearance after disappearing from the first day of the _catenatus_ spell. She lay leisurely in a patch of sunlight from the window, her head lolled over and looked up at them, the white square seemed to glow in the light.

"Aoria!" Ginny cried with delight, and forgetting the elbow to elbow attachment, rushed over to the cat. Draco dragged behind her. "Where have you been? What's wrong with the spell? How come we're so close now?"

Aoria didn't answer immediately, she gazed wisely at Ginny's anxious face to Draco's scowling one. "Problems the two of you are having," she stated.

Ginny glanced up at Draco, who was watching the cat warily. "Yes, well lately. We were doing pretty well until Draco and I had a row.

"But that's not the point! You see, we can barely move away from each other and it's a very big nuisance. I had to sit on his lap!"

"A row?" Aoria questioned, tilting her head.

"A fight you git," Draco snapped.

Aoria glanced up at him lazily, "Hasty," she blinked. "in temper. That is not a usual trait, but you're 'row' must have importance to change such wisdom."

"Wisdom?" Ginny laughed. "Draco?"

Draco glared down at Ginny's copper hair, "More wisdom than you, Ginny _Weasley_. I'm not a brainless chit kissing people when I'm upset and then claiming it wasn't my fault."

"He knows his wisdom, he uses them when he must, when he believes it appropriate." Aoria interrupted. "You have lost your way, in your heart and you let thoughts lead you." she was looking at Ginny now, who looked indignant.

"Does this have to do about our...predicament?" Draco muttered.

"It does, you've worsened the spell. To fight as such you fought, with the true feelings you both ignored, strengthen it. Foolish. I knew after the spectacle the night before -"

She was cut off by Ginny's cry, "You saw?"

"You would need me," Aoria continued. "At least for the question. Now that I have answered it, I can leave."

"Wait, how can we stop this?" Draco asked as Aoria stood and stretched.

"It is the same way as it was in the beginning," Aoria chuckled.

"So we're stuck this close until we break the entire spell?" Ginny asked.

Aoria paused, halfway to the door. "No, but you must find out on your own how to rid of It." and to their surprise, she walked out the door. Rather, through the door leaving both of them open-mouthed.

"If she could do that then why in the bloody hell did she have us open doors for her?" Draco grumbled.

"Draco," Ginny said turning to him, she found this not very helpful since she was so close to him, and to look him in the eye she had to look up. Draco did the spell quickly and she backed up. "Draco," she repeated. "I know you'd love to have me at your elbow, but its not working for me."

His lip twitched, Ginny couldn't tell from amusement or haughtiness.

"So, this didn't happen until the fight the night before..." she trailed off.

"There's not much else to talk about," Draco said. "I can understand what happened."

Ginny shook her head, "I don't believe you, if you did, this problem wouldn't be happening."

Draco scowled, but didn't answer.

They stood in silence for a moment, each refusing to look at each other, both standing stiffly. A knock saved either of them from saying anything. The door opened quickly and Ginny's heart leapt to her throat when she saw whom it was. Draco's father stood in the doorway, staring at both of them imperiously.

Nothing changed on Draco's face when his father stepped in. "You should go," he said softly, looking to her. Ginny nodded mutely and did the spell her last time, then hurrying out the door shutting it behind her.

Lucius looked over his son, his face as blank of emotion as Draco's before over the room. He sneered in distaste with the color decor. 

"It's the best they could give you?" he asked leaning against the table. Draco nodded, not moving from where he stood. "It's going well then?"

Another nod. Something flickered in Lucius' eyes.

"It's not done yet is it?" Lucius sneered.

"No," Draco said.

"Is it really that hard for you, boy?" 

"I can't fake or lie to get out of this, father." Draco snapped irritably. "The girl is no easier to get along with than the Potter character,"

Lucius laughed, a cruel, mirthless laugh, "Then cannot be done with the spell by tonight?"

"Of course not," Draco said confused.

"For the best I'm sure, she will be disposed of."

"What?"

"Have you forgotten, Draco? I spoke with you the night before you left for school, and back when this first...situation started."

Then Draco remembered. A cold feeling washed over him when the memory came to him. Lord Voldemort had been urging Lucius to have Draco join the Death Eaters since he came back in power the year of the Triwizard Tournament. Narcissa had refused and convinced to let Draco continue to his sixth year before he would be admitted, it was too early in his life, and his education to be involved within the ring.

He was to be admitted before he left for school, but Lucius and the Dark Lord had pressing business that caused them to post pone. And then that cat and the spell came along. 

_'You have until the New Year,'_ Lucius had hissed into his ear that day in Dumbledore's office. _'You will bring this family great honor when you are joined. Don't screw this up boy.'_

Lucius looked quite smug when he moved to Draco's side and placed his hand on his shoulder. 

"You've never experienced the thrill of killing someone," he said, "Perhaps you will be given the honor to dispose of her. I will speak to Voldemort about this." 

Draco didn't move. He didn't even hear his father's last words to him, but he snapped back to reality when the door closed. His father had left, leaving Draco to think of the things now presented to him.

He had to break the spell.

Ginny had been sitting at the end of the hall, her back pressed against the wall, eyes closed, listening to the whispers of the portraits and the murmur of male voices down the hall. Ginny had almost been paralyzed with fear when Lucius walked in, his eyes so similar to his son's had locked with hers almost instantly. And now in the flickering lights of the candles and the shadows cast over her, she delved in her mind trying to find what gave her such a feeling. She knew what it was, but what it was seemed to be just out of reach.

She started when she heard footsteps down the hall, and looked up to see a dark figure approach her. Ginny began to stand, seeing the glint of blonde hair, thinking it was Draco, but then his features became clearer. She straightened quickly, watching Lucius wearily. As he passed her, he shot her a smug look before disappearing around the corner.

Ginny leaned heavily against the wall, remembering the dream. Lucius' cruel smile, the wailing...the laughter. She didn't move, her eyes were shut again as she tried push the dream from her mind. She didn't understand it, and in truth she was frightened about it. A familiar tug reminded her that she couldn't hide in the hallway, in the dark, forever. She let the spell pull her back to the one person she didn't think she could face right then.

Draco took the time out to think of what he would say to her. 'Ginny we need to hurry up and get along or my father or Voldemort will have to kill you.' didn't seem appropriate to him. The time passed quickly, and he hadn't gotten any farther than from where he started when Ginny walked in. Her amber eyes went to his instantly, probing his face for any hint on what had gone on. 

He couldn't even bring himself to say anything. They sat there, Ginny at the door, Draco still rooted the same place where she had left him.

"I suppose we're both calmed down," Draco managed finally. Ginny looked at him with a confused stare. "We're not elbow to elbow."

"Oh," Ginny said softly. She closed her eyes quickly when the sight of Draco and Harry in the dream came to mind.

Draco shifted on his feet, uncomfortable. _They're going to kill her_, he thought. _Because she's in the way_. He cursed under his breath and ran his hand through his hair, looking away. The table still had their dinner sitting, waiting to be eaten. Draco motioned toward it and Ginny who seemed to be thinking of the same thing took the chairs that sat side by his and drug it to the opposite end. The meal seemed frighteningly similar to the one from the earlier one that morning. Less hostility seemed be coming from both of them, but still both were tense and seemed deep within their thoughts.

"What was it," Draco started, looking up at Ginny. "that you seemed so intent on telling me, before we were interrupted."

"I wasn't going to tell you anything," Ginny said quickly, she didn't meet his gaze. She could just imagine his raised eyebrow and that...Malfoy look that would no doubt be on his face that moment. 

"You weren't?"

"I was," Ginny continued, "Going to suggest that we start over, the thing from the night before. It didn't go over very well."

There was a frosty silence.

"Well?" Draco finally asked.

"Well what?" Ginny raised her head.

"Start, I believe you're first words of the argument were," he put on a false imitating voice, "'Draco! It's not what you think!'"

"It wasn't!" Ginny started defensively. Draco stared at her, calming her down. "It wasn't," she repeated more quietly.

"I believe that it was," Draco said.

"You asked me to leave," Ginny said.

"Kissing Potter was not in that request,"

"Who are you to tell me who I can or can't kiss?" Ginny asked hotly, "Or when for that matter."

"I don't advise on it," his eye's narrowed, "especially if he only pays attention to you when-" He stopped suddenly.

"When what?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not the one who should be defending myself at this point, just tell me what happened so you can get it off your chest and so we can move on," Draco snapped.

Ginny wanted to press the issue, but she couldn't right at the moment. For some reason she needed to have him understand what had happened in the hallway. 

"Harry...Harry had come to give me my butterbeer I left in the common room," Draco snorted, but she ignored it, "I talked to him, and I was about to go in and well talk to you to figure out what was wrong when, he kissed me."

"What did you say to him?"

"That isn't any of your business," Ginny flushed. 

"But Ginny," Draco said bitterly, "what a woman says to man can be very provoking and misleading."

"I told him how I felt right then,"

"More detail,"

Ginny's flush was no longer one of embarrassment but one of anger. "I told him I was confused on how I felt about with him. I confess Draco! You're constant...reminders of how Harry seems to pay attention to me just because I'm not with him all the time, got to me! And I told him that, I told him I had doubts..."

Draco was silent.

"And then you open the door, and I tried to explain, but you wouldn't listen-" 

"I did too listen!" Draco cut her off, angry.

"You did not, you didn't even listen to the words I was trying to say. You just set your mind on that I did it and it was my fault."

"You're stuttering's were suppose to convince me otherwise?" Draco smirked. 

"They weren't stutters," Ginny yelled, she was standing now, her goblet clenched in her hand tightly.

"You didn't seem to be able to make up your mind whether you enjoyed it or not,"

"That's not even the problem!" 

Draco gave her an icy stare. "This starting over business didn't help you at all."

Ginny stood there, glaring daggers at Draco. Then suddenly, she threw the contents of her goblet into his smirking face before stalking off to the bathroom. 

Draco was utterly surprised that she had even dared to do that to him. To throw her...pumpkin juice, in his face and the run off was an indignity. He didn't have to stand though, the spell was pulling him toward her since they were too far apart. 

"What the hell are you trying to pull, Ginny?" Draco roared, outside the bathroom.

"Go away!" he heard her muffled voice cry from inside. Draco was too consumed with his self-indignity and anger at the moment to heed her. He reached for the door handle and tried to turn it. She'd locked it.

"Open the door," Draco called.

"Just leave me alone, Draco!"

Draco drew his wand and pointed it at the door, "_Alohomora_!" The door burst open with a cracking pop. Ginny shrieked and turned away from him when he did the spell. He reached out and grabbed Ginny by the arm, turning her around. Ginny was resisting as much as she could, despite the fact that he was at least a foot taller and much stronger than she was. His grip on her arm relaxed when he saw her tear streaked, red face.

"You are such an asshole," Ginny said softly.

And for the second time, Ginny found a boy kissing her, without realizing it. Her eyes widened, she didn't lean into the kiss this time, and something pushed her away from him. It was Draco, who had turned abruptly away and closed the damaged door behind him. Leaving a distraught, and shocked Ginny standing in the middle of the bathroom.

Ginny's hand went up to her mouth and she brushed her lips where Draco's had been just a moment before. _He tasted like pumpkin juice_, she thought. And somewhere inside her, smiled.

A/N: Lots of author notes? Yes indeed. Thank you everyone who reviewed, unfortunately my computers wacky and only gives me the last 15 names that reviewed. But if you're name isn't mentioned below, my deepest apologizes, thank you very much for reviewing.

Stuntwoman, Hermione Gulliver, Dauphen, Blondie Gurl, Meagan Malfoy, Lady Voldemort, Pyrobunnie, [Dobby@Winky][1], Lilly, Ming Li, Abienne Dawning, MochaButterfly, and W&M Law!

Sorry this chapter took long! Thank you for reviewing (MOCHA!!! MORE OF THE SEQUEL!!!!) Peace ^_^ 

-Archer

   [1]: mailto:Dobby@Winky



	6. 6

Quick A/N: LOL, yes I know I asked the same thing about, 'What if we make her die while they're

Quick A/N: LOL, yes I know I asked the same thing about, 'What if we make her die while they're

still bound together??' and Sierra who made up the spell was like, 'Do you really think Aoria

would let any person, no matter how awful, be stuck to a corpse?' So I guess you have to be

alive for the spell to work, so lets hope Ginny or Draco doesn't decide to go suicidal on us all and

launch themselves off the tower. ^.^

****

Chapter Six: Realization

The next few days passed very quickly for the two. And somehow, neither Draco nor Ginny could say anything to the other. They would, nod at one another whenever they'd catch eyes, but as of late, the over all weirdness was just too strong. And it was driving them both mad.

Draco had mentally beaten himself the night he kissed Ginny. Over and over he could hear his father berating on how worthless he was, on how muggle loving fools were lower than him. Then he kissed Ginny. Daughter to a muggle lover, friend to muggle lovers, and even friends to muggle themselves. He kissed one. The child hood lectures raced through his head, the scolding and beatings he received when he was caught playing with a muggle boy at the park his parents used to take him to.

He really didn't know what pushed him to do that, to kiss Ginny Weasley. Perhaps it was because she looked so damned cute with her hair a disarray, her face flushed, her lips in a pout... Draco glanced over at Ginny who sat beside him in Divination. The other Slytherin's still jeered when she entered the classroom. Pansy, who still insisted on sitting in front of him or near him, enjoyed glaring at Ginny while attempting a conversation with Draco. Crabbe and Goyle sat to his right, side by side, the glazed look coming over their eyes.

Draco really disliked Divination. Not only because the whole fact that he couldn't see anything or predict if his life depended on it, but because the teacher was a dingbat. The room made him dizzy, and her voice sounded as though she had just woken up. About right then, he would be taking a good nap, but he just wasn't tired this day. No, he was too busy glancing at Ginny who seemed very interested in writing down notes. 

Draco leaned over toward her to peer at what she was writing. Ginny didn't notice, too busy scribbling something down in her messy writing.

"'What the hell is this lunatic talking about?'" Draco read out loud.

Ginny jumped in her seat before turning to Draco. "Don't read my notes," she said covering them her hands.

"Those are notes?" Draco chuckled, but he moved back to his seat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her smile, and continue her writing. Pansy, however, wasn't amused at all.

"Why do you talk to that filth?" she asked, wrinkling her nose. She tossed her hair, eyeing Ginny haughtily. "You'd think that you actually _like_ being around her,"

Draco saw Ginny stiffen and raise her head at the older girl. "Shut up, Pansy." Draco snapped.

Pansy looked surprised and even Crabbe and Goyle managed a grunt to show their shock as well.

"You do like her don't you?" Pansy sneered. "Why lower yourself to such a level, Draco?"

Draco glared icily at her, shutting her mouth. Ginny was breathing hard, while gripping the edge of the table so hard, her knuckles were white.

"You know Pansy," Ginny said, looking up at the Slytherin girl with almost uncontrolled anger reflecting in her eyes. "We still have that unfinished business. It seems you're asking it to be finished now,"

Pansy snorted, but didn't respond.

The rest of Divination passed without another word, except for the occasional glances between Draco and Ginny. Pansy saw them all.

~

Ginny tapped her foot against the marble floor outside Professor McGonagall's classroom, waiting for Draco. The Professor had to speak to him about the class and requested Ginny waited outside. Draco had done the spell for her and nodded before she left. He had only talked to her at Divination, after that he seemed to have not wanted to speak anymore.

"Well, well Weasley," Pansy's voice echoed down the empty hall. Ginny looked up to see Pansy flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. _It's like seeing the girl version of Draco Malfoy_, Ginny thought amused. 

"What do you want?" Ginny asked, trying her best to look bored. She wasn't afraid of Pansy, she knew she was a coward, but Crabbe and Goyle were a different matter. She had seen them try to curse Hermione before, so she knew they wouldn't hesitate at her. 

"You were talking about that unfinished business?" Pansy smirked.

"You know very well I was talking about you and me," Ginny said, staring at them, trying to imitate Draco's distached and very bored stare. "There was nothing to mention with those two ape's you have behind you."

The two boys grumbled and glared at her with their beady eyes, under their bushy eyebrows. Pansy not deterred just smiled. 

"There were no rules set," she pointed out.

"Common sense I believe," Ginny retorted, pushing herself from the wall. 

"So you're backing out?" Pansy asked gleefully.

"You wish," Ginny smirked and drew her wand. She knew there was no way she would be able to win this fight. Not with the odds out of her favor. The three Slytherin's drew their wands from their own pockets and leveled them at her. 

"What's going on here?" Draco asked stepping out of the classroom. Seeing Ginny and her wand, his eyes immediately moved to where she was pointing. His look of surprise changed to a 'Oh it's you guys,' before closing the door.

"Just getting this pest off your back," Pansy told him.

"Pansy, I don't need your help with anything," Draco laughed. "The only pest I need off my back at this moment is you."

Pansy flushed, and raised her wand to curse Ginny, but she was faster.

"_Confundo!_" Ginny cried, and hit Pansy with the curse. 

Whatever spell she was planning on using was foiled, because she instantly swayed on her feet and directed the spell at Goyle, who cried in outrage. The three of them continued to fight as Draco and Ginny snuck past them.

Neither Crabbe, Goyle, or Pansy were in any of their classes later that evening, much to their delight. Ginny even shared what happened with her brother and his friends, who laughed despite that Draco was standing beside them. They all had seemed to come to a mutual agreement, while the spell lasted, they wouldn't talk to one another.

As they made their way up the stairs to the common room, Harry touched Ginny's shoulder and whispered something in her ear. Ginny looked at him and then to Draco.

"I'll be in the room in one moment," she said softly to Draco. 

She, Draco, and Harry halted at the turn in the hallway, to the left would lead to her and Draco's room, and to continue straight, the Gryffindor Tower. Ginny said the spell and waved as Harry led her away. 

Draco stood there a moment, looking thoughtful, before turning and going to the room.

~

"I never got to talk to you about that night on Christmas," Harry said, stopping just short of the portrait. Ginny looked down, knowing that she had purposely avoided him to avoid the discussion he was now starting.

"What's there to say?" she asked, looking up. Harry looked surprised at her response and studied her closely.

"Are you trying to say what you were saying to me out there didn't have to do anything about me at all?" Harry asked.

"No, it was at the time, but now I really don't know," Ginny shook her head. "I got my answer, but I'm not sure if I trust it."

"What do you mean by that?" Harry asked, a hint of anger in his voice.

"Why'd you kiss me Harry?" Ginny asked, looking him in the eye. "Was there any real feeling in that? Or was it just to keep me from going back to Draco."

She saw him wince when she said Draco's name, her eyes narrowed and arms crossed. "You just didn't want me to go to him did you?"

Harry stared at her for a long moment before looking away. "A part of me didn't want you to go back to...him. But that kiss wasn't just to distract you Ginny, I did it because...well..." he trailed off, struggling for the right words to say. "That's how I felt for you at the moment. It was the only thing I could think of to express that."

Ginny looked at him doubtfully. "What about all those other moments?" she asked softly, her arms falling to her side. "Why did you chose now?"

Harry looked confused, "I'm not sure."

"It's because of Draco," Ginny said, mostly to herself. "He was right." 

"What are you talking about, Ginny?" Harry asked, his green eyes reflecting the confusion on his face. 

"Draco had told me, he knew," Ginny shook her head, and glared at Harry. "You're only paying attention to me because you're afraid I won't be looking at you any longer. Afraid my eyes will wander?"

"That's not it at all Ginny-" Harry started but was cut off.

"It is," Ginny felt her heart fall. That little faithful part of her mind cringed at Ginny's logical answer, but no condolence came from it. "I can't talk with you anymore right now," she said, then practically ran away from Harry to her room. She paused outside the door, glancing down the hall to see if Harry had followed. After a moment, she opened the door.

The lights were off, the curtains drawn, and a dark form, which was Draco, lye still on his bed. Ginny was too distraught at the moment to bother with the lights, she moved to her trunk and stripped off her robe and tie, then tossed them into the trunk. She left her dress shirt on, not bothering to change into her nightgown. Under her covers she gritted her teeth thinking of how Draco had been right all along. She was a brainless chit, a naive little girl, a...a...gullible girl who couldn't realize when someone was playing along with her. Hot tears crept down the side of her face, tickling as they went. She wiped them away furiously and closed her eyes tight. She only wanted to sleep and forget it.

~

Draco sat up quickly in the middle of the night, his sleep disturbed by some memory. Taking a shuddering breath, he ran his hand through his messy hair, trying hard to recollect what it was. It had been urgent, his mind had been screaming for him to wake up, to do whatever it was that was so important. 

He had gone in the room to wait for Ginny to come back, but he found he was too tired. So after getting ready for bed, he shut the curtains and turned of the lights. He'd meant to stay awake a bit longer to see when she came back, but he'd fallen asleep the instant his head had hit the pillow. He hadn't woken up whenever she had arrived, seeing her sleeping in her bed fitfully. 

Draco frowned when he remember why Ginny was so late arriving back. Potter had held her back, wanting to speak to her about their little incident in the hall no doubt. He couldn't help but wonder what he had said to her and more what she said to him. Draco almost nudged her awake to ask so but he knew it would be stupid if he did. Knowing her she'd tell him to mind his own business and then he would respond in kind and another argument would start. 

He smirked; he knew how the two of them would act together a bit too well. Spending nearly half a year together can do that to you. Heck, he'd been around Crabbe and Goyle since his first year and he still didn't understand the goons. He'd been around Ginny for only four months and he could predict how she would respond to almost any situation. Except when if he kissed her. 

Automatically, the mental scolding began again, but he had wanted to kiss her again. For one thing, she hadn't responded at all when he had surprised her by it. Of course it was only a very quick one, done more out of a spontaneous act and a bit of anger. He didn't even know if she enjoyed it, which for some reason disturbed him. Draco was a good kisser. He'd kissed many girls, mainly the daughters of his father's associates. His father often used Draco to get on good terms with powerful and influential wizards. It had bothered him at first, but that feeling passed and he reminded himself that he would be used as such for any gain his father could get out of him.

The weight of weariness fell on him again, and he lay back down. He fell asleep again, forgetting that he had to remember something direly important.

Draco woke again, not much later, to a strange feeling. Automatically he looked to his left, checking for Ginny. Her bed was unmade, but she wasn't sleeping in it anymore. He sat up quickly with a rustle of blankets and looked around the room. He spotted her standing by the window; she had pulled the curtains back and opened the window. Her arms leaned against the window still, her face tilted upwards staring up at the stars. The light of the moon shone down on her, the same blue tint Draco had seen that Christmas night, giving her and the surroundings a surreal look.

He let out a breath he hadn't noticed he'd been holding. The light made the shirt she was wearing almost transparent; he could see quite well the shape of her body. The garment only reached just above her knees...and in her ignorance, the tranquillity of her look, made her look all the more attractive. Draco stood and walked over besides her, causing her to look away briefly. 

"I couldn't sleep," she said softly, her eyes moving back to the sky.

Draco didn't answer, he watched her for a second then looked to where she stared. They sat there a long moment, each thinking about what troubled them. Ginny, her predicament with her feelings, and Draco on what he needed to remember.

"It's almost New Years," Ginny said studying the sky. "You can tell by the moon."

"New Years?" Draco asked, and something in his memory flickered. "When is that?" 

"Two days," Ginny smiled, "Well tomorrow. New Years Day is in two days."

Draco was silent. It had to do with the New Year he knew, but what? Ginny continued talking but he wasn't paying attention anymore. He had it, whatever it was, but not quite.

"I have until New years..." Draco said. Ginny looked at him.

"What?"

Draco swore, causing Ginny to look at him in shock. 

"Ginny, we have to get this spell broken now or get out of here fast," Draco said frantically.

"What are you talking about?"

"How can we become allies, Ginny? Like right this second, anything."

"Draco...I think you need to lay down." Ginny looked at him with concern. She reached out her hand and felt his forehead. "Are you sick?"

Draco took her hand and looked her straight in the eye, forcing himself to calm down. "Trust me Ginny, you want to end the spell now, now please help me out. How we can break it."

"We become allies?" Ginny said slowly, "or love, I'm not sure I understand that part. I assume we just have to get along,"

Draco was silent, thinking carefully, "But we have gotten along and we're still stuck together. Something's not working, are you hiding something?"

"No!" Ginny said, pulling her hand from his.

"What's with the attitude?" Draco asked, a small grin forming on his face. "You are, what is it?"

"I'm not hiding anything," Ginny said, "Are you?"

"No..." Draco said, wondering if harboring his feelings would count as hiding something. Deep down, he knew it was, but he didn't want to admit it, he refused to admit it. _She would laugh_, he thought bitterly. _It's Potter she wants._ "How did it go with Potter by the way?"

"Fine," Ginny said shortly, she turned away from him.

"That's all?"

"That's all I have to say to you about it," Ginny snapped, making sure her face was hidden from his view. She didn't want to see how upset she was over what she had realized.

"Liar,"

"You know, us fighting isn't going to get the spell broken. That's what you want right?" Ginny asked bitterly.

"That's true, but I'm not looking for a fight. I'm curious." Draco pointed out. Inside he was bitterly jealous of Harry, how Ginny would take time out to just talk to him.

Ginny didn't say anything for a long time, she seemed to be thinking. Just as Draco was about to ask again she said, "You were right."

"Hmm?" 

"About Harry, he only paid attention to me because I was around you. I guess the thought of me being around you threatened him in some way." Ginny sighed. "And you were right. I was naive, a brainless chit, whatever you called me. I just refused to see it. I didn't want to see it."

Draco was stunned. When it became obvious he wouldn't respond she kept going.

"For a while I doubted how I felt about him, I always told myself that it was silly to be waiting around for Harry to realize how I felt about him. But I always told myself to wait, that it would take time." she paused. "And it did, of course it's not what I wanted, but that's my luck."

"Are you actually admitting that I was right, Ginny," Draco teased trying to lighten the situation.

The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, "Hell's officially frozen over," she sighed.

"So it's broken," Draco said relieved.

"Only one way to find out," Ginny said, and she began to move across the room, away from him. For a moment, both thought it had worked, but then Draco was being dragged back toward Ginny.

"Maybe not," Draco frowned.

"What about you?" 

"What about me?"

"I told you what was upsetting me, now it's your turn." Ginny smirked. Draco gave her a hard look. "It's your fault this isn't broken, and you're the one who wants it to be broken so fast."

Draco stared at her for a long moment, digging inside of himself for something to tell her. The spell wouldn't take a lie, though she would, and it was important to be unbound...

"I'm not sure," Draco said finally, feeling very stupid. "What's going on with me."

Ginny raised an eyebrow, doing her best impression of him. He shook his head, "I'm serious," he said. 

Ginny's face became solemn, "Sorry," she managed to keep a straight face for about two seconds before a grin broke over her face.

"Never mind," Draco groaned. 

"No I'm serious! I want to know Draco," Ginny pleaded.

"The past few months," Draco said after a moment. "Everything has been really..." he trailed off, seeming to be searching for the right word.

"Weird, freaky, strange?" Ginny put in.

"Yes, sort of," Draco managed a crooked grin. "You don't think so?"

Ginny looked thoughtfully at him; "Well one thing that really was strange to me was what happened recently. I'm standing in front of this guy, all right? And I had just gotten in this huge argument with him and I was crying and yelling at him. You know what? He kissed me,"

Draco had figured out what she was talking about, halfway through her speech. He was avoiding her searching look that he could feel on him.

"Do you understand that? I thought this guy hated my guts, and then he kisses me." 

Something in his eyes flickered, "So it meant nothing?" he asked coldly.

"I'm not sure," Ginny replied. Draco sneered at her and began to move away, but she grabbed his arm. When he started to pull away, she tightened her grip. "But I thought of him when Harry kissed me, and that made me pull away."

~

Harry had been awake long after the rest of the castle was asleep. He really felt like an ass, because Ginny was partially right. He'd always harbored feelings for her because one, he was never that well at admitting his feelings toward the opposite sex. He still winced whenever he thought of his attempt at Cho. 

It was his fault that he let her hanging around Draco get to him. Since he knew she like him, and he liked her, it was never really a problem. But then, he didn't let her know what he thought, which probably confused her and screwed it up with him even more.

Now she was beyond pissed off at him.

Super.

Harry had crawled quietly from his bed and grabbed his cloak out of his trunk before he knew what he was doing. He had to talk to Ginny, to let her know what had really been happening. Not whatever Malfoy had brainwashed her into believing.

~

"You were thinking of me when you kissed Potter?" Draco asked warily.

"Yes," Ginny said, suddenly embarrassed.

Draco inwardly grinned, Potter would never know that his object of admiration had been thinking about his arch-enemy as they snogged. The best feeling of all, which rose above that fact about Potter, was that, it felt that a great weight had lifted from his shoulders and chest. They both admitted something they didn't want to about one another.

"Is that all you have to say about this?" Ginny asked quietly. While Draco had been thinking, Ginny had been doing her own. More along the lines of frantic, _what the heck was I thinking, telling Draco Malfoy that!_ And _oh god, he's going to laugh at me, why'd I say that? Stupid Ginny! Stupid, stupid, stupid._

Draco was startled by the question, and he was quiet a long moment before answering, "I'm not sure what I could say."

"Are you glad?" Ginny asked quickly. She felt herself flush. _There you go acting like a silly girl. God Ginny, how do you live acting like this?_

Glad? Hell, Draco didn't know what to say. "That I could tell this to Potter and perhaps crush his fragile heart? Yes,"

"That's not what I meant," Ginny said, frowning.

"I know," Draco chuckled. 

"You're avoiding answering me," Ginny pouted, "You haven't given me a straight answer,"

"And you're taking it," he smirked.

"Not anymore, what are you hiding?" Ginny asked, stepping toward him.

"Nothing important, Ginny," Draco said.

Ginny moved passed him, going for the door out of the room. As she began to be pulled back, she looked at him skeptically. When she stopped in front of them, she watched him carefully.

"Why'd you kiss me?" she asked. "Is that it? You kissed me for some reason,"

"I don't need a reason to kiss a girl."

"With this one you do," Ginny said, half joking.

Draco grinned, or winced, it was hard to tell even though it was slowly getting lighter outside. He looked away from her, to the light that hinted dawn, a troubled look passed over his face.

"Being stuck by your side for so many months," Draco said, watching the light with a sort of dread. "I'm thinking about you in ways I thought inhumanly possible."

That was as much as he would say he couldn't bring himself to say anything more. Not so openly as she had done. And damn it all, he could feel himself wanting to blush. He never blushed over a girl, and to do it over Ginny Weasley...

He didn't expect Ginny to understand what he had said though. The shorter red haired girl was somehow not surprised that he had answered in that elusive way. In the quiet of dawn, she processed the words, looking and finding the hidden meaning.

Draco felt her hand on his chest and he looked at her in surprise. She was blushing, her gaze down. "What-" he started but stopped when he realized what she was doing. Lifting her head, her amber eyes dark, she kissed him.

Ginny's heart was pounding so hard she was afraid he could hear it. When she touched him, she had only meant to get his attention, so she could agree and tell him her feelings. And this urge to kiss him, so strong that quiet, mild mannered Ginny kissed a boy. Her first kiss that she initiated. Later on she would congratulate herself; she did it quite well.

His lips were cool, and slightly chapped. She had seen him licking them when he talked to her, only when he was nervous or frustrated. Both hands were resting on his bare chest, pressing against them slightly to help balance herself (she was a good deal smaller than him, and she had to stand on her tip toes to reach him), she felt her knees shake when his hands dropped to her waist. He lowered her to the ground, bending his head so she wouldn't have to reach up to him.

Perhaps the kiss would have lasted longer, but neither of them would have found out. For right then, the door crashed open. Ginny sprang away at the noise, her eyes wide.

The light emanating from an upheld wand blinded her for a moment, but before she could make out who it was, she heard Draco's voice, hard and cold.

"Father,"

A/N: 

Thanks to…

[AliEnChiCk][1], [][2]MochaButterfly (G/D rox), [][3]w&m_law (hehe…happy dancing. You so silly), [][4]Tessie, Princess of Mordor, [][5]Spazzer Monkey, [][6]Dauphin (sorry bout that, hehe ^_^), [][7]medea (thank you very much! That was a great help!!), [][8]Lily Katherine O'Connor (woohoo sugar quills!), [][9]pyrobunnie (I know hehe, he's just so kissable :-b), Segev, *~*GinnyPotter*~*, [][10]Meagan Malfoy, [][11]Abienne Dawning, josephine, [][12]Apocalypse, Adolfina, judith.c., MsV2U, Dewi, [][13]MG

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	7. 7

A/N: I believe my Beta-Reader has dropped off the face of the earth ****

A/N: I believe my Beta-Reader has dropped off the face of the earth! Oh well, you think since there's a bunch of people helping writing this we wouldn't need one right?

Ohhh, I don't think so! Anyways, that's the tradegy of today, that and I'm furious with some of my friends. But lets not dwell on sad things….

Today I got to do the greatest thing in the world! REVIEW NEW STORIES!!!! I was soooo happy! I haven't had time to read any new stories in ages! Mostly just clicking

through favorites, but that's no fun. Hehe, yes well that makes me feel much better ^_^

****

Chapter Seven: Our Fear

"Draco,"

He stirred; eyes that were shut tightly opened slowly, painfully. The wind was rushing over his body, his long hair pushed out of his face. He was sitting upright, on a broom. His broom, he realized vaguely, the new one his father had bought him for Quidditch. A warm body was hugging him from behind, and he could feel the warm breath on his neck and ear.

"Draco," the person repeated, feeling him move. "Are you alright?"

"Ginny?" Draco asked, trying to clear his head. Now that he thought about it, the left side hurt, and when he brushed his hand against it, it stung horribly. He withdrew his hand, staring at the crimson color that stained them.

"Don't touch it," Ginny said, her arms tightening around his waist. "They hit you pretty hard."

"They?" Draco murmured.

"Can you remember?"

"Not well," he grimaced. "I suppose I got hit."

"Yes, it was a very brave and foolish thing to do." Ginny said softly. He felt one of her hands release his waist and stroke the hair by the wound.

"What happened then?" Draco asked, looking around him. They were flying over a village, one he recognized that was by his home. His father flew in front of him, two other men flanking him, and boxing in Draco, one of the men had an additional person who was leaning against him, as if he were sleeping.

"When your father came, he tried to get us to leave, saying that I would be needed after all. You started to argue with him when one of the other men came after me." Ginny explained in a hushed voice. "You tried to stop them but your father hit you with something and knocked you out."

"Ah," Draco said, still looking at the sleeping form. "Who is that?"

He felt Ginny shift where she sat to see what he was looking at. He heard her intake of breath before she spoke. "Harry."

"Harry?" he repeated dumbly. "Potter?"

"Yes," 

"What the bloody hell is he doing here?"

"He tried to stop them too," she said slowly. "You're both idiots. Harry especially, I don't know why he did something like that."

_For you,_ Draco thought but didn't say it. His jaw tightened while looking over at the still form of Potter. "Idiot," he hissed. "He could have warned someone about what was happening."

"You knew this was happening did you?" Ginny asked, silencing him. "That's why you wanted to break the spell."

"Yes, and for other reasons." Draco admitted.

"What other ones?"

He didn't answer, for then his house came into view and they were slowly descending. It wasn't really a house, more along the lines of a mansion. It fit the Malfoy's very well, a dark grayish color, with candelabra's placed outside the large double doors of the entrance, marking their landing spot. Though it had been morning when they were taken, the sky was dark. A heavy fog took over the sky and ground, dimming any light the sun might have given.

They landed, before either Ginny or Draco could move one of the two men jumped off and stood beside them. Lucius got off his own broom slowly and turned to his son, studying him with cool eyes.

"I hope that nap let you gather your sense," he said coldly.

Draco sneered at him, but didn't answer. The man beside them started pulling Ginny off but she kicked him off of her.

"I can do it myself," she snapped, jumping off the broom. Draco got off as well, handing the broom to the outstretched hand of Lucius.

"Welcome home," a velvety voice interrupted.

Draco felt sick to his stomach as he looked up, past his father. He felt Ginny tremble beside him, and looked down at her with concern. She had her eyes not on the voice, but to the still body of Potter. While they were preoccupied, three other men had appeared and began to carry him away, into his house. Draco looked away, knowing that whatever trouble Potter was in, Ginny was probably going to be a part of it.

The voice that had welcomed them took shape into a hooded figure. The cowl lung how on the owners face, hiding all except her ruby red lips, that were curved in a smile. The lady faced him, ignoring everyone else, watching Draco carefully. Draco shifted where he stood slowly, watching the woman with weary eyes.

Lucius seeing Harry off finally turned to the woman and took the hand she offered.

"Has He arrived?" Lucius asked, his voice barely containing his excitement.

"He is on the way," the woman answered, never turning away from Draco. It looked as though she was speaking to him rather than his father.

Lucius regarded him, looking distracted. "Go inside, take the Weasley girl with you," he snapped. "And don't gawk, you look like a fool."

Draco closed off his face immediately and began to lead Ginny past his father and the woman.

A cold hand on his arm stopped him. He looked to see dark red nails digging into his arm to halt his procession foreword.

The hand went up to his cheek and caressed it slowly.

"No hello for you mother, Draco?" the cloaked woman asked, pulling the cowl back from her face.

Draco didn't answer, but turned to continue past her.

"Such a pretty girl," his mother's voice stopped him again. 

Again he turned, to see Narcissa holding Ginny's face by the chin, and inspecting her carefully.

"Pity," Narcissa said finally, but her hold did not relent on Ginny's chin. Ginny stared at Draco's mother in a mix between horror and anger. "You have been mislead, good blood, yet the wrong state of mine. Pity," she said again. "You would have made a good wife if they chose to change you."

"What?" Ginny asked, jerking her head from her grasp.

Narcissa laughed bitterly. "Take her to the hall, Draco."

"She's not leaving my side," Draco snapped.

"I do not expect her to. You are, after all still under the spell?" Narcissa asked softly, her eyes flashing.

"Yes," Draco growled.

"Then go," Lucius yelled.

Draco grabbed Ginny by the arm and dragged her away from the couple, who watched them leave.

"That was your mother?" Ginny asked as they walked through the doors.

"That was my old mother," Draco said bitterly.

"I don't understand,"

"I didn't expect you too," Draco snapped, at her hurt look he explained in a gentler voice. "My mother's just as big of a supporter to The Dark Lord as my father. After he disappeared, she changed into a more...tolerant person. Since the last few years she's began to change back." he shook his head. "I'm surprised she lasted so long."

Ginny didn't responded, for then they had walked into the entrance hall. It was magnificent; the ceiling was so high that at least three Hagrid's could have stood on one another's shoulders and barely barley able to brush the top. The paintings on it were ones of ancient runes, and portraits of wizards, who did not move except blink their deep and wise eyes. Crystal chandeliers lit with hundreds of candles sparkled, magically suspended around the hall, illuminating the ceiling mural, and the room itself.

During the time she stared in wonder, Ginny had forgotten of her peril, her mouth open in an obvious way of admirence. Draco didn't even smile in pride, he didn't even look upwards or at Ginny. His stormy eyes were searching the room carefully, for any man who might be waiting for them.

The doors to the foyer were open, and the sitting rooms were as well. Light from the fireplace spilled from its double doors, and the shadows of many people flickered along with the murmur of voices.

Draco felt Ginny clutch his arm, her head turned to the front entrance. He glanced back, his mother and father approached them quickly. Lucius with his usual grim look, and Narcissa the smug smile from earlier. But what he saw next startled him even more. Trailing behind them, looking very grim, was Professor Snape.

"Y-" Ginny sputtered, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You?"

"I will question him," Narcissa said, not giving Snape, if he had planned to at all, a chance to say anything.

"What did he want with her?" Lucius asked, jerking Ginny from Draco. "Will you take her with you to question later."

"No," Narcissa said, addressing Draco along with Lucius, Draco had begun to go after her when Lucius pulled her away. "Take her with you, or lock her up somewhere until I am done."

"I will watch her," Snape offered. "While you question Draco."

Lucius shoved Ginny to him, who stumbled and nearly fell. Snape stepped forward and caught her from under her arms. 

"Peter will keep you company," Lucius said shortly. He looked at Snape with mistrust and hatred before disappearing into the sitting room. Peter emerged from it moments later, a glare ready for Snape.

Severus returned the look tenfold and Peter, better known by Wormtail to Draco, quailed. He had tried to convince his Master of Snape being a traitor, but failed, causing him to look more of a fool in Voldemort's eyes.

Narcissa placed a hand on Draco's shoulder, her nails digging into it, "We must talk," she said, with a twisted smile. Nodding to the open foyer doors, she began toward them.

Draco looked one last time to Ginny, who was looking very pale, before passing his mother into the foyer. Narcissa smirked, glanced back at Ginny a promising look in her eyes, before walking into the foyer, the doors shutting behind her.

~

"Sit," Narcissa ordered. Two chairs sat by an unlit fireplace, beside one was a table covered in vials. Draco sat on the one that stood alone, and watched as his mother sat herself in front of him.

"You are no longer bound," Narcissa told him.

Draco blinked, realizing that her words were true. During the entire episode he had totally forgotten about the spell. If they weren't true he or Ginny would be dragged through the doors, but he hadn't noticed. His eyes flickered, the only response he gave her.

"But why?" she continued, ignoring him. Her nails tapped a vial she held in her hand. He hadn't even noticed her picking it up. She offered it to him, her eyes never leaving his.

Draco took it, and stared at the dark liquid warily. He expected a truth potion, but they weren't this color.

"It's not poison," Narcissa said smoothly, flashing her white teeth in a sort of smile. Draco smirked, he didn't suspect it was poison. He was the Malfoy's only heir, to poison him would sign her death warrant.

He pulled the stopper off and drank the entire contents of the vial in one drink. He made a face at the taste.

It burned as it went down his throat and settled in his stomach. He'd taken truth potions before, and he knew most did not burn or harm the person at all. Only force them to tell the truth, without hope of changing their answer. Draco, however, had been given truth potions from the mildest to the strongest since he was young. To build up resistance, his father had said before giving it to him and asking questions. It had helped; Draco could drink any truth potion without being forced to answer truthfully.

"What did you do to it, Narcissa?" Draco asked, using his mother's name to annoy her.

"A few required adjustments," she admitted. "You have a tendency to be able to lie around most potions. I must be sure of the things I will be asking."

"Ask away," Draco winced, the potion was very strange. Not only did it hurt when he took it, but every few moments, a burn would spread through his chest. "Get it over with."

"In your time with Ginny, did you ever manage to get any information that would help our cause?"

"No," Draco answered automatically. He looked surprised, never in a very long time had he answered so quickly, or even answered at all.

Narcissa smirked, "Required adjustments, like I told you. How did you break the spell?"

Draco concentrated, trying to manipulate the potion for his own use but he found himself answering, "We understood each other."

"Did you kiss her?"

Draco struggled. "Yes."

"So I heard from your father," she frowned. "This morning?"

"No,"

"I see," Narcissa chuckled. "She kissed you then. So, what made you want to break the spell?"

Draco managed to delay the answer this time. "She would be killed when father came for me,"

"How touching," Narcissa said, not sounding convincing at all. "So what was your reason?"

Draco closed his eyes as he pushed back the effect of the potion. He let out a hoarse gasp of pain, it felt as though someone had stabbed a knife in his heart and was twisting it slowly.

"What was your reason?" Narcissa repeated a look of annoyance crossing her fair features.

Draco felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead and upper lip as he concentrated. Gritting his teeth he glared at his mother.

Narcissa picked up another bottle from the table beside her. "Answer, or another one will be burning its way down your throat." she threatened.

"My reason is my own to keep," Draco gritted out, rewarded with a fresh burst of pain. His head spun and by accident, he bit his lip. He could feel the blood running down his chin and neck.

"One last chance," Narcissa said, tilting the bottle back and forth. She selected another from the table. "If you answer now I will give you the antidote, and no more questions."

"No," Draco hissed, but another wave of pain made his eyes water and the edge of his vision darken.

"I trust her, therefor she is my ally, and I love her."

"Now that wasn't so bad," Narcissa cooed. He felt her cold hand press against his forehead and he jerked away.

"Ginny has feelings for Harry Potter?" Narcissa said, forgetting her promise.

"Yes!" Draco practically shouted.

"Pity," Narcissa replied, mostly to herself. "Do you see him as a friend, Draco?"

"No,"

"Well your doing something right after all." Narcissa laughed. She forced the antidote down Draco's mouth before he could protest. The antidote burned just like the truth potion had, only the effect of it wasn't immediate.

"Love," he heard his mother laugh scornfully. "You do not even know what love is."

Draco agreed with her, as he concentrated on disattaching himself from the slowing stabs of pain in his chest. He had no idea, yet he proclaimed it under the damned potion."It's hard to know an emotion that you're never exposed to," Draco said.

"That's because," Narcissa said, cruelty in her voice and eyes. "There is no such thing as love."

Draco didn't answer; he shut his eyes, trying to block her very existence from himself.

He heard her stand and move across the hall toward the door. "Severus," she called. Draco raised his head, anger coursing through him. The Potion's Master came into view, Ginny standing beside him. Draco pushed himself to his feet and moved toward them slowly, trying to hear what his mother was saying.

"Take him to his room," was all he heard, he'd missed the rest. 

Narcissa grabbed Ginny and pulled her to her side. Ginny was staring at Draco in mute shock, he had blood dribbling from his lip, which looked as though he had been hit there.

Snape gestured to Draco to follow him, and he did, sending Ginny a look of comfort before disappearing from her sight.

"What did she do to you?" Snape asked, as they walked to his room. 

Draco didn't answer him, though he shot him a look with his steel gray eyes, one of pure disgust. Snape looked surprised at the look, then it hardened.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked.

"Do not worry about it," Snape responded, opening the door to Draco's room when the reached it. "But all's not as it seems."

Draco walked in and turned around abruptly to stare Snape straight in the eye. "You're the last person that I expected to come back," he said coldly, before shutting the door. 

Snape stood there, staring at the mahogany door for a long time, a various number of looks crossing his face. Finally, with a resigned sigh, he turned back toward the stairs, his mind racing for a solution.

Draco had at first been stumped at what to do when he was in his room. He couldn't leave, because the house would be teeming with Death Eaters and he just knew that Lucius would expect him to walk out. His eyes drifted over to the huge picture window beside his bed. He was on the second floor, and the drop was a long way down. He might have jumped, if he knew how to heal broken legs, and if he had his wand. 

It should still be under his pillow back at Hogwarts. Draco's eyes drifted over to a closed door beside the window. The closet.

Draco sprang to his feet and raced over to it, throwing the door open so hard it hit the wall and made a dent. He didn't care; he was too busy pushing aside clothes and boxes he kept inside it. His hand made contact with a smooth, polished piece of wood and his hand closed around it. He withdrew his old Nimbus 2002, the one broom he used until the year before, when his father finally had gotten him a Firebolt.

The Firebolt was with Lucius now, but he'd forgotten about the one he'd kept in his room. Without even bothering to close the door he raced over to the window and opened it. Clamoring out onto the narrow ledge, Draco mounted his broom and sped off into the night, heading toward the direction they had came.

~

"Why would they all be in there?" Ron asked skeptically as he and Hermione hurried toward the room Draco and Ginny shared. 

"Killing one another?" Hermione shrugged. "Draco and Harry at least, but I checked down at Hagrid's and everywhere else I could think they would go and still haven't found them."

"I hope we're not too late, it'd be a good fight." Ron said. Hermione hit him on the arm, causing him to laugh.

The door was closed when they arrived, no sound came from inside to indicate anyone was there.

"I told you." Ron frowned.

Hermione shook her head, "_Alohomora!_"

"Hermione!" Ron cried as the door popped open. 

Hermione ignored him and strode into the room, then froze. The windows were broken open so nothing but broken pieces of glass jutted from the windowsill. A table and two chairs were broken, as if there had been a struggle and there was even some blood on the floor.

"Bloody hell," Ron breathed his face white. "What happened?"

"My father," A drawling voice answered him. 

Both jumped and looked up to see Draco climbing inside by the window. He landed with a crunch on the broken glass and stared at them. He looked a mess, very unlike him, for his visage was usually impeccable. The whole left side of his head was drenched in blood, and the dark robes he wore were worn and some parts looking bloodied. His face looked paler than usual, but he looked away and hurried over to his bed. From under a pillow, he withdrew a wand, which he twirled with his forefinger and thumb.

"Gotta go," he said, grabbing his broom from the floor.

"Wait!" Hermione cried. "You can't just leave and not tell us what's happened!"

"I did," Draco snapped, looking back at her. "My father happened."

"Where's Ginny?" Ron asked, some color coming back to his face. He looked angry. "If your dad did anything to her, Malfoy..."

Draco laughed bitterly, "You wouldn't be anything about it," he said gravely. "But you can do something for me. Go tell Dumbledore that Voldemort has Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter at the Malfoy Mansion."

Ron flinched at the name but glared at him. "I will not be going anywhere but with you. I need to get my sister you know."

"No," Draco said coolly. "You will be going to Dumbledore's office and telling him my message as quickly as possible, because if you don't," he paused for effect. "It may be too late for either of them."

"Are you threatening-" Ron started but Hermione interrupted him, she whispered something softly to him before looking to Draco.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Granger, that you should go now and quit wasting my time!" Draco snapped.Ron disappeared out the door, his rapid footsteps fading. Draco nodded, and started back out the window.

"Wait-" Hermione cried, glancing back at the door. "Ginny...Harry are they fine? How are they?"

"I don't know Granger," Draco said irritated. "Ginny was with me until up to this point, Harry was unconscious and being dragged around by Voldemort's henchmen the last time I saw, but if you keep bothering me they won't be fine anytime soon!"

"I'm sorry!" Hermione said, "I'll go! You go! Hurry!"

Draco gave her an odd look before shaking his head and taking off with his broom. He hadn't seen Ron grab the forgotten invisibility cloak left on the floor of their room, nor did he know that an invisible fellow followed after him.

At least not until he flew into his room and tossed his broom beside his bed. Drawing his wand, he turned swiftly and pointed it at the open window.

"Alright, Weasley...or Granger, show yourself." he snapped.

There was a guilty pause, and then the red head of Ron popped up out of nowhere, suspended by nothing but air. There was a scowl on his face, and as he pulled the cloak off the rest of the way he asked, "How'd you know I was here?"

Draco smirked, "I don't have to see you to know you're around, Weasley."

Ron glared at him, tossing Harry's Firebolt he had used to follow Draco down beside Draco's Nimbus. 

"So what now?" Ron asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

Draco still hadn't lowered his wand, but he stared at Ron coolly. "I'm making this up as I go along."

Ron threw up his hands, "Wonderful,"

"I'm sure they're not going to kill them anytime soon, I'll probably be given the honors to do off with your sister," Draco grinned, he wasn't serious, but he knew it would piss off Ron.

He was rewarded with a stream of profanities that almost impressed him. "Tsk, Weasley, and you kiss your mother with that mouth?" 

After a few more minutes of exchanging insults to one another, Ron finally calmed down.

"Listen, this isn't getting us anywhere, do you have any idea what's going to happen?"

"Probably a nice little ceremony where they'll kill Harry," Draco shrugged. As he said that, his memory flickered, "And I'll have to join up with Voldemort."

Ron smirked, "I'm not surprised."

Draco leered at him, "Believe it or not Weasley, the thought of calling that _thing_ Master, or even being named a Death Eater makes me sick."

Ron looked at him dubiously. "Right..."

"Draco!" a voice called from outside his door. 

Ron cursed and dove down behind Draco's bed, just as the door opened.

"The ceremony is about to start..." Ron heard the voice say, but he wasn't paying attention to that. When he had fallen, a sort of shield that had been propped up against the wall had been unsettled. It began to roll slowly away, a dim scraping noise making the voices quite. Swearing under breath Ron reached out to stop the shield, but in doing so, it tipped over and fell, smashing his hand.

At Ron's loud, and rude, proclamation, the Death Eater who had come for Draco drew their wands. Ron stood; picking up the shield as if he were to throw it, then saw the Death Eater pointing the wand at him.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" the man practically screamed, before either of the boys could move.

Ron stood frozen as the green light screamed toward him, a look of disbelief on his face. He squeezed his eyes shut, just before it made contact, tensing his body, waiting...

Waiting...

He opened one eye. The Death Eater lay on the ground, dead. Draco was staring over at Ron with mild admiration.

"What?" Ron gasped, "How?"

"Good thing your stupid enough to not hold that shield right," Draco chuckled, "Or you'd be dead."

Ron looked down at the shield he held in his hands, he held it backwards, so it curved toward his body, rather out of it. The inside of the shield was metal; two leather stubs smoked slightly where the handle had been. The curse had reflected back onto the man.

"Wow," Ron laughed with relief; he let the shield drop with a loud clatter.

"No!" Draco cried, but he was too late. The sound of running feet toward the door made him drop his forehead into his hand. _Idiot..._

A/N: Thank you so very much for all the reviews, you really helped me with this chapter. I almost gave up when my desk went nuts, but I'm glad everyone wants me to continue writing this! I had just started the sequel too, heh, stupid thing! Regan made a pretty picture for the sequel, its on the Author Bio! Okay thank you to…

[**MochaButterfly**][1] (thanks! Keep up with all those stories!), [****][2]w&m_law, [****][3]Dauphin, [****][4]Tessie, [****][5]medea (lol! Your reviews are always halarious, thanks ^_^), [****][6]Hermione Gulliver, [****][7]amaia riddle, Wery good, Kit (Lily K. O'Connor), [****][8]Ariana Black, [****][9]AnandaStarChild (hehe…), [****][10]Segev, [****][11]Abienne Dawning, [****][12]Shiina Kurenai, [****][12]Shiina Kurenai, [****][13]dmtomriddle, Krissy, [****][14]cheerangel503, [****][15]~*angel's little diabla~*, [****][16]Realms, [****][17]FireSprite, Kristen, danadian sheep, cooldot, [****][18]DarkKnight (Thanks! I'm evil I know ^,^), GryffindorChick, [****][19]Starlight!

I hope you like this chapter, I'm not very happy with it, I think its kind of…I don't just I don't like it. It must be a writer thing, cause you guys love all the chapters I thought I did bad on hehe ^_^ Thanks for the support! - Archer

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	8. 8

****

Chapter Eight: Voldemort

Ginny let the woman lead her through the maze of the mansion, her body unable to cooperate. Too much was going on, she couldn't seem to make herself function. The endless halls seemed to fade away as she thought about the morning's events. How only a few hours ago they had been safe at Hogwarts, with smaller problems...boy problems. Something stirred inside of her. Draco and Harry were here with her, and neither seemed in any better position than her. Draco had been bleeding when he left the room and Harry unconscious.

"What will happen to Draco?" Ginny asked, surprising herself.

Narcissa was surprised as well, she stopped and stared down at the girl, studying her with cold blue eyes that made Ginny inwardly shiver. "It is none of your concern," Narcissa managed. "Worry about your fate, which will not be bright, I assure you. You're ruined beyond repair."

"Huh?" Ginny narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Narcissa didn't answer, but pulled Ginny farther into the heart of the mansion. "If your parenting had been different, perhaps there would be hope." she admitted, more talking to herself than Ginny. "But it is too late, you are too far gone." They stopped outside a door, which she opened with her wand. "A pity, a valuable wife. There's something-" Narcissa stopped and shoved Ginny into the room. The door shut with a slam and the sound of a bolt and lock echoed in the pitch-black room. 

"Would you bloody quit glaring at the back of my head, Weasley?" Draco snapped, whirling around as soon as the Death Eater disappeared into the chamber.

"I knew it! I knew you'd betray me, you sneaky little ferret!" Ron yelled, struggling to move but ropes bound him to the spot. 

Draco smirked, "Don't act like I betrayed your trust, Weasel. You never trusted me."

"You just admitted it," Ron spat, "Bastard."

"I didn't admit anything, now shut up."

"Shove off!"

"Weasley, shut up." Draco hissed. "Use your head you dolt." 

Ron glared at him.

"I suppose that's asking too much," Draco shrugged, "If you think about it, Weasel, we both very well couldn't be caught going against my father, now could we?" he arched one brow, "Besides, it's your fault we were caught in the first place."

"You could have at least warned me-" Ron started but was cut off by Lucius entering. He had changed from when Draco had last seen him. He now wore the robes of a death eater, and a billowing black cloak lined with green. A silver clasp under the chin was in the shape of a dragon, its jaws open wide and eyes narrowed into slits, the Malfoy symbol.

Lucius stopped before Draco, his eyes revealing nothing of what he thought, though he did tap his wand against his thigh in an anxious sort of way. "You must change for the ceremony," he said, breaking the silence. His voice was very calm and low, very unlike him. Draco watched him warily, knowing something was up. 

"It will take too much time for him to get dressed," Narcissa's voice objected. 

Both of the men turned, and watched Narcissa approach looking agitated. She drew her wand and transfigured Draco's bloodied and torn robes into ones almost identical to his fathers. The only difference was the cloaks linings, Draco's silver which accented his pale features. Narcissa hardly glanced at Ron, but moved to her husband, one slender hand pressing against his chest as she leaned toward him. "She is in the storage room, I wanted to stall and see maybe if there was a way to...alter her more to the Master's liking."

Ron sent a confused look to Draco, knowing they were talking about his sister, but not understanding what she meant. Draco did, he looked toward the open doors and the huddled bodies around the fireplace. They wanted to make Ginny a wife, for who he didn't know, but to be one of those was horrible. Narcissa was one, Draco wasn't quite sure if it was by her own free will or by force. 

"Bring him in, Draco." Lucius said, apparently finished talking to Narcissa. He was moving quickly toward the center of the half circle. 

"What were they talking about?" Ron hissed as Draco loosened the robe binding Ron's legs. "Why do they want to change Ginny?"

"You'd be better off not knowing why, Weasley." Draco grumbled.

"No," Ron said stubbornly. 

Draco sighed, seeing where Ginny got her stubbornness. "A wife," he explained, pushing him forward. "A wife to a Death Eater, a mindless female that does the bidding of her 'husband' used only for the reproduction for the better aiding of Voldemort." He felt Ron flinch at the name and smirked.

Ginny sat down where she stood soon after Narcissa left her. The dark room seemed to press in all around her, but she didn't move, too afraid that perhaps they locked her inside the room with something. She felt her heart beating rapidly in her chest, knowing that if something was in here with her, it could surely hear the sound of it. It only took a few minutes for her to calm down, mentally telling herself to gather her wits about her. Her eyes adjusted to the dark, not making her sight any better, but she could tell the crack in the door let in some light. 

Ginny crawled forward, not caring about her robes, which were torn from the fight in the room and in some parts stiff with dried blood. She wasn't sure if was from her or Draco, but she really didn't care. Ginny pressed her body against the door, sighing with relief. For the little light it gave, it still comforted her, and she could see a bit better from this angle.

The room had all sorts of dark shapes that crowded around the area. When they didn't move she figured she must be in some sort of storage room. If there were more light she'd look around, but she refused to go stumbling around in the dark, not knowing if she'd hit something or not. 

Something glimmered out of the corner of her eye. Ginny turned her head quickly, thinking it just her imagination, but she did indeed see something. A dull silver shine, it looked like a piece of jewelry. Ginny's hand reached out and grabbed before she realized what she had done. Whatever it was, it was cold and smooth in her hands, and if she lowered it to the ground and twisted it, the metal would shine and sparkle. 

Ginny found herself putting it into her pocket without even thinking about it. Her hand reached in, to draw back out, but as soon as her fingers grasped the metal she didn't pull it out. _What?_ Ginny thought confused. _Leave it be._

Did I just think that?

Ginny shook her head she was getting sleepy. _That's not right_,_ I just woke up._

"What's happening?" Ginny muttered. She jumped, not realizing she had said that out loud. As suddenly as the feelings of exhaustion had hit her, it went away when she spoke. Shaken, she pulled her hand out of her pocket, too afraid to touch whatever it was again.

Ginny wrung her hands together nervously. What had happened to Draco to make him bleed? Where did Harry go, was he still alive? Was Draco still alive? Unconsciously, her hand wrapped around her wrist and brushed along the circumference, something she did out of habit from the spell, and since the string was very smooth feeling.

Only she felt regular skin.

Ginny's eyes widened and she looked down at her wrist. Of course! Why hadn't she noticed earlier? They'd been separated from each other for quite a long distance and for a long time. Ginny's arms dropped limply to the ground. She wasn't feeling the relief she thought she would feel after the spell was done with. More of dread and worry.

"Harry...Draco..." Ginny whispered, a wave of emotion washing over her. "What can I do?"

Draco was standing in the middle of the room full of the people he hated. 

His mother and father, Voldemort's groupies (his secret name for the rest of the Death Eaters), and Harry Potter with his usual side kick Ron Weasley. 

But there was one more to add, of course.

Voldemort was on his way, or here. He couldn't figure out which since he seemed to be hearing both by different people. Not that he was perspiring over it, like his father, or giddy with excitement like his mother. Hell, Potter and Weasley were tense about it, but Draco found himself at ease. And that disturbed him.

The setup was something he typically expected from Voldemort. Everyone crowding around the intended victims, Potter tied up and defenseless, and a nice, cheery fire roaring behind him. Typical and predictable.

"You had to get Ron into this too, didn't you Malfoy," he heard Harry's voice interrupt his thoughts.

Draco blinked and looked down at Harry, who, despite the magical ropes the bound him, looked at him with such passionate hatred he believed Harry to forget his predicament. "I didn't get Weasel involved in anything, Potter." Draco sneered. "It's his fault he came here, and his fault me and him are here now."

Harry's glare never faltered, "And Ginny? Why is she here?"

Draco stumbled over that. "We were still under the spell, Potter." Draco snapped.

"You knew your father was coming," Harry continued. "Her being brought here was all part of the plan wasn't it."

"Shut up," Draco hissed, his gray eyes flaring.

"That entire spell was probably a nice little plot you and your father made up. Why did you want her anyway? Just to kill her?"

"Potter," Draco warned.

"Or could it be," Harry's eyes narrowed, "You're jealous."

Draco reacted violently this time. He kicked out with his booted foot and hit Harry in the stomach, knocking him to the ground and sliding him toward the fire. Ron cried out but Draco ignored him, advancing on Harry. 

Harry was struggling to sit up but couldn't because of the ropes that bound his hands behind his back. Draco kicked him again, this time in the face, sliding him even closer to the fire. Harry managed to shift onto his side when Draco neared him again. He leered up at the boy and spat out blood onto the floor. 

"Enough," a chilling voice interrupted Draco's next strike. The room went deathly quiet; the only sound was the whisper of robes turning toward the fireplace. Draco looked up from Harry to see a dark robed figure step out of the flames. 

"Voldemort," Draco said, and the whisper of 'Master' swept through the crowd. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Harry curling up, in obvious pain. Lord Voldemort paid him no heed; just stepped over the boy and advanced toward where Lucius stood. 

Narcissa caught Draco's eyes and she waved frantically for him to take his place beside his father. He thought briefly not to go, but when the look in her eyes became dangerously insistent he trudged over to stand beside Lucius.

"Where is the girl?" Voldemort hissed, ignoring everyone around him.

Lucius glanced over at his wife. "She's locked away right now, My Lord. Would you like for me to get her?"

Voldemort's slitted eyes narrowed, and Lucius blanched and motioned for Narcissa to go fetch the girl.

Narcissa paused however, "Master," she breathed, reaching out to grab the hem of his sleeve. "We were hoping maybe you could reconsider the fate of the girl. She has great power milord, I can sense it-"

"Silence," Voldemort snapped, snatching away his sleeve. Narcissa shut her mouth, looking perturbed. "Fetch the girl, do not question my decisions Narcissa."

"Yes milord." Narcissa said quietly and hurried from the room.

Draco stared after her, disgust plain on his face. That entire display nauseated him, and worse still, he'd be expected to do the same soon. Voldemort's eyes locked onto Draco's for a brief moment before the man turned and made his way over toward the fireplace.

Ron had managed to reach Harry and was help sitting him up when Voldemort reached him. Ron's face paled, his freckles standing out on his face even more than usual. Harry was to busy trying to keep his balance, the pain in his stomach and mouth didn't help the current ones now emitting from his forehead.

"Harry Potter," Voldemort's voice echoed through the chamber. "We meet again."

Harry opened one eye to glare at Voldemort before shutting it again, and swaying where he sat. 

Voldemort laughed. It was high, without mirth, and reflected the cruelty that was etched clearly on his deformed face. He bent down to look Harry eye to eye, though his voice was still heard to everyone present, "You escaped from me once, Potter, but not again. No, you will die this time, and where you sit now." he straightened. "Your chance of fighting me has ended. But first..." his slitted eyes looked at Ron, who paled even more.

Harry chanced to understand what Voldemort was getting at. "Wait," he said desperately. "Leave him be."

"Why would I do that?" Voldemort laughed, drawing his wand from his robe. "When I can see you suffer by watching your friend die?"

Ron's entire body tensed as Voldemort raised the wand, the words of the killing curse beginning to form on his lips when the doors opened again. 

Narcissa had arrived with Ginny.

The first person Ginny saw was Harry, still looking battered and bloody, his hands bound sitting on the floor. Then she saw the shock of red hair, and the familiar face that she so desperately hoped was an illusion.

"Ginny!" Ron cried, seeing her.

"No," Ginny whispered. "No, no, no, no." Narcissa stopped anymore words from her by dragging her forward and forcing her down so she knelt before The Dark Lord. For a slender woman, Narcissa was surprisingly strong. 

"Virginia Weasley," Voldemort said her name. "Look at me."

Ginny shuddered when he said her name, but looked anywhere but him. A flash of silver caught her eye. Draco and Lucius stood side by side, both looking grim. Draco was no longer in the robes he'd left Hogwart's in, rather, he was in very expensive looking robes, and wearing a cloak. Her eyes trailed from his clothes to his eyes, which instantly locked with hers as if he'd been waiting for her to look at him. 

"Look at me," came the command again, more angry than before, but it seemed farther away. Draco held her eyes, something flickering in them, like he was trying to tell her something. It clicked just as Narcissa forcibly turned her head and tilted it up so she stared into the face of Voldemort. It was a look she got from her brothers whenever they did something to upset her but she refused to talk to them. The 'I'm sorry' look. For what though?

"I remember," Voldemort's voice cut through her so she flinched. "The Chamber of Secrets. Those things you told me, do you remember that Virginia?"

Ginny trembled, finding herself unable to answer. She never felt as afraid as she did now, not even as afraid as she had been down in the Chamber with Tom Riddle. This man, no this thing, was more real with more destructive power than the ghost of Riddle had. Her eyes fled his snake like ones.

Voldemort reached out so the tip of his fingernail lifted her chin up so she looked into his eyes again. For a moment, she saw the old Tom Riddle, but it was merely a trick of the mind, as he applied more pressure, forcing her to stand before him. She still had to tilt her head up to look at him, but it was enough, for he only had to bend over slightly to say his next words to her only. "Join me, Virginia. I'll make you my Queen."

Ginny stumbled back, falling into Narcissa, who caught her and shoved her back roughly to her feet. Revulsion coursed through her at the thought of standing beside him, as his 'queen'. It must have reflected onto her face because he straightened a look of sick amusement on his face. "As I thought," he addressed to Narcissa, who frowned but said nothing. She grabbed Ginny by the arm and pulled her over to where Ron sat, shoving her beside him.

Immediately she flung herself to him wrapping him into a hug that could have broken a few ribs. "You idiot, why are you here?" she hissed into his ear.

Ron never had the chance to answer, for then Voldemort reached down and grabbed Harry by the hair and yanked him to his knees. Harry groaned the first noise he had uttered since Voldemort's appearance. Voldemort looked pleased.

"Let him go!" Ginny shrieked, seeing this.

"Quiet!" Narcissa snapped, smacking Ginny hard on the back of her head.

"Don't touch her," Ron growled, struggling to get to his feet, but Narcissa only laughed and an well-aimed kick to his ribs sent him sprawling on the ground.

"Look at your friends Potter," Voldemort hissed to Harry, ignoring the scuffle between them. "Look at how helpless they are."

Harry's eyes were only slitted open, and his sight was blurry since his glasses were broken and his eyes were watering from his hair being pulled.

"They're going to die." Voldemort cackled, "Because of you, they're going to die."

Harry hissed something out inaudible, but whatever it had been only made Voldemort laugh all the harder.

"Leave them and just kill you? Where would the fun be in that?" Voldemort smirked. He released Harry's hair so he dropped to the floor, "Choose Potter. Choose who will be the first."

Harry struggled to his knee's, he could only glare at Voldemort.

Voldemort had his wand out and he glared down at him, "_Crucio!_" he yelled the curse aimed at Ron. The force of the curse knocked Ron to the ground, and the effects were heart wrenching. Ron writhed on the floor, curled up into a ball, screaming on the top of his lungs. Ginny added to the noise screaming, "Stop it! Stop!" repeatedly.

Voldemort stopped it with a wave of his wand and looked down at Harry. "Have you chosen yet?"

"Leave them alone," Harry spat, struggling to his feet.

"I'll choose for you," Voldemort shrugged, his wand this time pointing toward Ginny. "_Avada Ked-_"

"Wait!"

Draco had watched the entire thing with little outward emotion. Inside he was desperately trying to piece together some sort of plan to get them out of this. But for all his usual quick wit, nothing came to him.

Then he saw Voldemort point the wand at Ginny, and the beginning of the spell. "Wait!" he cried out, not realizing he did so until he felt all eyes on him. "Voldemort.... Lord Voldemort," he corrected himself when he felt the sharp sting of his father's elbow in his side. "You cannot kill her."

Voldemort's wand lowered, and his expression grew murderous.

Lucius groaned beside Draco but he continued, "I thought I would be given the honors to do so," he said desperately. He didn't see the look of growing horror on Ginny's face when he played his trump card, "And I wanted to be joined into your circle before you finished your task."

A/N: I did it! My muse was merciful and descended to me last night. All in about an hour and a half. And you know what? I still don't like it! And my beta reader has gone poof! SOOOO. We'll just finish this…

I'm working hard on all my stories. I think I participate too much in a bunch of them. Hehe. 'Trapped with the Enemy' might be updated today, or 'Have You Heard About Ginny?' might be. We shall see. I'm sick so I have all day so I will begin!

Thank you of so much to these patient readers!

w&m_law (Ronniekins isn't being stupid!. I'm sorry if you think that's how I'm making him. I love Ron, he's just being his lovable self ^_^), GoddessOfRainbows, DarkKnight (Glad I'm not the only one!), Hermione Gulliver, Tigre (I like Narcissa in this too. She's a pro bad girl), Segev, MochaButterfly (Oh I love all your stories. I check them nearly every day! I'm such a geek, thanks for continually telling me to update, I probably would've gave up if you hadn't!), pyrobunnie, tiku, annakas, StuntWoman, Trunks_Goku_DBZ (me too ^_^), Nice (thanks for the critique! It helps J ), LilyAyl, lily, piratequeen (I'm flattered, thank you for taking the time to review for me **grins**), KTAKRI, medea (lol, yes Aoria will be back in the story, they're not rid of her yet!), FeatherQuill (hehe, how was the shower? ;)), *~*GinnyPotter*~*, Dauphin (Phew another person who feels the same! I don't know if it ever said Avada Kedavra is an unblockable curse. But it is Draco's shield so I'm sure it have some sort of Dark Magic protecting it from a curse…:- ) or will we find out?), ~^*^~krissy~^*^~, I Have Issues (Lol I know stupid Lucius. Yes! I love Narcissa, she's so evil!)

Thank you all so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, SO much for reviewing and being patient with a bumbling artist. You guys really helped me out, knowing there's rabid reviewers waiting for this chapter. Thank you all! I'm here for you! ^.^

Yours in Fanfiction,

Archer


	9. 9

'This is the end…this is the end my friend.' – Homer Simpson

A/N: The final chapter of Catenatus. After long toils, and trouble, and adventure, it is ending…

This is dedicated to a very loyal reader, Mochabutterfly, I wouldn't have made it to the end if it weren't for you.

And to the people in Realms, who started out with the story, and then bid me farewell and urged me to continue to do it on my own. Thank you, you guys are so kind and I'm very honored to be thought of a good writer enough to continue the story.

****

Catenatus 9: For You

Hermione wrung her hands nervously as she paced outside of the castle doors of Hogwart's school. She'd delivered Draco's message immediately to the Headmaster, who then contacted Professor McGonagall and the Ministry of Magic. It took a terribly long time for them to just go and get her dearest friends, in the clutches of Lucius Malfoy and Merlin knows whom else.

But finally they left, getting over the official business. It had all been one blurry race of voices and movements to her, some conversations she could recall others she couldn't. She detected worry and excitement in most of the tones. Worry for the welfare of the students, and the excitement of the upcoming battle that was sure to happen. 

If they got there in time.

"Hang on guys," Hermione said softly, stopping her pacing to look in the direction the many officials had headed to. "Help's coming."

Triumph spread across Voldemort's face and his shapeless lips turned up in what be a smile, if that expression was possible for him. Draco could hear his father let out a breath of relief and an approving murmur escape from his lips. He couldn't concentrate on him at the moment, for then he was encased in a perfumed hug, by soft yet unbearably cold hands. 

"I knew," he heard his mother whisper into his ear, "You would come to your senses boy."

"Stand away," he heard Voldemort command, and obediently his mother complied, holding Draco's eyes as she backed away and clutched onto Lucius' hand with excitement.

That was the most outward affection his parents had ever shown in front of him. Something stirred inside of Draco but he caught eyes with Voldemort and held them bravely.

'_Back straight, head level, and don't lower your eyes_.' he could hear his father say in his memory. '_Your a Malfoy, be proud of who you are_.'

But he wasn't.

And certainly no more proud when he chanced a look at Ginny, who's face showed such naked betrayal and hurt he almost went to her to explain. Instead he walked forward to meet Voldemort calmly, the odd smile still on the man's face.

"Draco Malfoy," he greeted voice low. "Ready to take your place you were born to? To ascend the steps of glory and power that await you?"

Draco's eyes flickered over to Ginny once more before answering with amazingly steady voice, "Yes."

"You swear your fealty to me, your Lord. To serve without question or thought."

"Yes."

"Roll the left sleeve up, Draco Malfoy." Voldemort indicated, his whisper raising to a regular tone. 

_Don't_, Ginny willed watching Draco slowly roll the sleeve of his robe up to his shoulder. _This is wrong, this can't be happening._ But it was, and now that Draco had done as the Dark Lord had bid, he had taken his wand and began to recite something in rapid Latin.

Ginny was dimly aware of how many of the Death Eaters leaned forward in anticipation, how many unconsciously touched where their own hideous scar marred their skin near the crook of their elbow. She couldn't tear her eyes off of Draco, beckoning him to look at her; to know if what was happening was really true.

Harry had crawled over to her, looking ready to be sick, perspiration beading his face. Despite his outward appearance, his emerald eyes burned bright with defiance and anger when he glanced over at Draco. He looked at her, his eyes saying more than words could. Ginny looked away to the ground, unable to look at Harry's accusing glare.

_I trusted you_, she thought angrily, amber eyes once more raising to Draco when Voldemort reached the climax of the spell. _I loved you._

And the wand descended, pressing hard into Draco's arm. A collected breath was held, waiting for his screams. They never came.

"They're doing a ceremony of some sort." a middle age wizard said, apparating back with a pop into the crowd of wizards that waited patiently for him. He wore the robes of a Death Eater, though his visage was more kindly and very out of place for his outfit. He stripped from his robes, now wearing his official uniform; a dark blue robe with the letters 'HW' printed near the shoulders of both of the sleeves of the robe. "Not very well guarded, everyone's paying attention to the ceremony...the boy, son of Lucius. He volunteered to join."

Albus Dumbledore dropped his head and closed his eyes, a deep sigh leaving his down turned mouth. He could hear the Minister of Magic exclaiming loudly beside him about the Malfoy's, but he tuned out the words. He had had hopes for Draco, hopes beyond the path that had been laid out for him. And for a short while, he believed Draco would take the right one, rather than the one he had chosen that night.

"The others?"

"There are two, other than Harry Potter. Both red heads, I think they're brother and sister."

"Ron and Ginny," Dumbledore confirmed.

"Ron's there too?" Arthur Weasley asked. His normal cheerful face was pale and very worn out, as if he hadn't slept in a long while. Dumbledore had requested Arthur stayed with his wife, but he had firmly vetoed the idea, declaring his duty to his children, who needed him.

"Your wife needs you as much as your children Arthur," Dumbledore had reminded. "And what you could be going to is very dangerous. I don't think Molly could handle loosing you as well."

"She won't be loosing anyone in this family tonight, Albus." Arthur had said, his jaw clenched. "I'll be sure of it, even if I have to take the whole lot with my bare hands."

Despite his words, Arthur still looked a mess. He straightened when he noticed Dumbledore's scrutiny and drew his wand. "Then we go?" he asked, his voice strengthening.

Dumbledore glanced at the Minister, and at his confirmed nod he looked over at Arthur. "We go."

It was worse than the Cruciatus Curse. The pain not only wreaked havoc on his physical body, but on his soul too. It hurt beyond describable words, and yet he managed to not make a sound. He did bite through his lip again, but sucked on the blood before it could cover his face. 

As soon as the wand had touched he looked down at his arm, to see what would happen. The point pressed right before the joint, digging into his skin. That's when the pain hit, but despite his watering eyes, he managed to see a sort of slithering black smoke stick to his skin. It covered a small area of his arm, and when Voldemort had finally pulled away the wand, it disappeared.

Nothing happened for a long moment. And then slowly, very slowly, the Dark Mark took form on his arm. A cheer went up through the crowd, for his bravery on not crying out, and the relief that Lucius had managed to get his son to join. Those cheers nearly broke Draco then. He'd done what he had sworn to himself he'd never do. Give his life to the man that stood before him, snake-like eyes dancing with delight.

Someone was pounding him on the back congratulating him. He glanced back to see his father, the normal cold face spread into a smile. The look didn't suit him; he looked like more like he were grimacing rather than smiling. His mother was nearly jumping up and down with excitement, her eyes sparkling. 

They were proud of him.

Draco felt that feeling again. He could recognize it now, and was almost sick with realization of what it was. He was happy. He'd made his parents proud.

Was it worth the price?

"No," he whispered, looking back to Ginny. Her face didn't brighten when he looked at her now. Rather, it hardened, and her eyes narrowed with distrust and hatred. Her hands were clenched into fists beside her, and he could tell she was trembling with anger. Draco noticed Harry staring at him, just behind Ginny. A look of triumph. Someone who had just been proved right.

"Now," Voldemort's hissing voice silenced the cheers. "Do the honors."

Draco didn't understand what he had meant at first. 

"I knew you were looking forward to this," Narcissa purred beside him. She pressed his wand firmly into his hand. "Kill the girl."

Draco stared at the wand and then back to Ginny. She didn't change the ferocity of her look; rather, she stood and took a step toward him. Instinctively he raised his wand, the tip pointed at her, his own eyes widening with the open threat he had just given her. 

"Do it," Voldemort snapped impatiently.

_I've never killed anyone in my life,_ Draco thought to himself. _And now I have to kill someone I just told them I loved? Why is my life so bloody screwed up?_

"Do it," Ginny whispered.

Draco's arm jerked, then dropped to his side.

Before anyone could react, the room was filled with the popping noise of apparating Hit Wizards, Aurors, Ministry officials, Albus Dumbledore, and outraged father with bloodlust.

When the first spell was cast, Draco was knocked to the ground by the rush of men. He lost sight of Voldemort, Ginny, and the other two prisoners. He saw his mother running off toward a back door, not bothering about her son who lay on the floor helpless. Draco didn't care; he was too busy frantically searching for Ginny.

He had to roll away when two men, locked to each other's throats, fell where he had been lying. Pushing himself up into a crouch, he made his way steadily to the door. Someone ran into the back of him, sprawling him to his face and sliding into a couple of people struggling near the door to the foyer. Dazed, he turned his head to see who it was and was surprised to see a thrashing Ginny and his father.

Without checking to see who had knocked him off his feet, Lucius grabbed Ginny by her arms and dragged her out of the room unnoticed. Draco scrambled to his feet, dodging a stupefy spell that had been badly aimed, he ducked after them.

Lucius was having a hard time getting her to go wherever he was headed. She struggled against him, kicking out at him and frantically trying to pull her arms away.

"Hey!" Draco called jogging towards them.

Lucius reacted by spinning Ginny around she had her back pressed to his chest, her arms held to her sides and a wand pressed at the base of her throat. The wand dropped down when Lucius recognized who it was. 

"Draco," Lucius looked after him to see if anyone followed. "Hurry up, kill her." 

"_Accio!_" Draco said not slowing as he ran toward them. His father's wand leapt into his hands, and Lucius' eyes grew wide with realization of his son's double-cross.

In one movement, Lucius shoved Ginny to her knees and pulled out a dagger the length of Draco's forearm. He'd forgotten that that his father always carried it with him. He was almost to the pair, but there was no way he'd be able to reach him in time. 

"_Desoras_!" Draco shouted the first spell that came to mind. A flash of white light sent Lucius flying away from Ginny, the dagger clattering to the ground. Lucius didn't move from where he fell, dead or unconscious.

Draco barely managed to dodge at the swipe Ginny made at him with Lucius' dagger. He backed away, his wand up and ready, caught off guard at her attack. 

"Death Eater," Ginny said her voice trembling with anger. Her face was nearly as red as her face, her features twisted to match her angry stature.

Draco straightened and lowered his wand, "Your wrong," he said bluntly tossing both of the wands at her feet. He spread his arms wide, "But if you believe what you claim, might as well kill me before the Officials get here."

The red tint faded at his words, but she advanced on him, the dagger held in her hand proving she'd never used a weapon before. She held the point to his chest, her eyes beginning to water, staring at the metallic glint, avoiding his eyes. "You joined him."

"This means nothing to me," Draco said indicating with a nod of his head to the Dark Mark on his arm. The pressure of the dagger was increased as Ginny stared at it.

"Liar."

Before she could move Draco had grabbed her wrist and twisted it so the blade fell to the floor. He kicked it and the wands away and grabbed her so she faced him.

"To buy time." Draco said, searching her face. "It was you or me Ginny."

Ginny attempted to wrench her arms from his grasp. "It makes you guilty, Draco! Everyone knows Harry, Ron, and I bet those entire Ministry wizards do too! Are you going to tell them the same thing? Do you really think they'll believe you?" 

"They might," 

"It's not like that Draco! How can I trust you? Just let me go,"

"Ginny." Draco gripped her tighter, "Yes, I knew my father was coming. I knew, I admit. I'm sorry for not telling you, but that's why I wanted the spell to be broken this morning."

"Oh?" Ginny's face was red again, and a few tears had already escaped down her cheeks. "Then why wasn't it broken when we left? Why now?"

"I don't know." Draco looked away.

"Then let me go,"

"No."

"Why? You know why!"

"I love you,"

Ginny blinked. "What?"

"In some...unexplainable way, I-" Draco let go of her so he could run his hand through his hair. "Damnit Ginny, your different from every girl I know. You make me feel...strange. You treated me like a person since the spell and since I've gotten to know you-"

Ginny didn't say anything but still stared at him, confusion on her face.

"Ginny," Draco took a deep breath. "I love you."

There was a shocked silence.

"Until peace between two become allies or love, the bonding together will then dissolve." Ginny whispered.

"Yeah," Draco shifted, his eyes searching hers. "At least on my side. I don't know if we both have to feel the same. What about you?"

"Draco-" Ginny took a deep breathe, and found she couldn't support herself. She sank to the ground, her hands falling into her lap. "You're not lying to me?"

"No," Draco said, falling to his knees in front of her. 

"Draco," Ginny stopped and closed her eyes. "I've liked you a bit longer than you did to me. I admitted it to myself before you...distracted Voldemort from killing me. I trust you Draco, and I do love you,"

"Ginny," Draco warned, raising an eyebrow.

"I do." Ginny opened her eyes. "I had always told myself it wasn't you, that it was something else. I always thought it was Harry but-" she shook her head.

"You're not lying to me?" Draco teased.

"No," Ginny smiled at him. "Never."

"Good," and Draco pulled her onto his lap. Ginny dropped her head and rested it on his shoulder.

"It's over though."

"For now," Draco said grimly. Ginny looked up sharply at him, not immediately understanding. She saw his gray eyes flicker over to the foyer doors, which were still closed, and then squeezed his hand reassuringly. He still had to face the Ministry, and now he had the Dark Mark on his arm...

Her small hand ran down his arm and rested lightly above the Mark. He winced slightly, even though she had barely touched it. "It hurts?" she asked, staring at it with a bit of awe and disgust.

"Yes," Draco admitted, "It was worse when he gave it to me. It burns like hell right now."

"Do you think that somehow they could get rid of it?"

"I don't know." Draco admitted. "No one ever has, Snape-" he stopped his eyes widening. 

"Snape was here with your father," Ginny straightened and looked around.

"No," Draco shook his head; "He was here, but not for my father." Draco groaned and muttered something under his breath that Ginny was sure was inappropriate. "I'm such an idiot. He was here for Dumbledore no doubt."

"He has the Dark Mark-" Ginny started but quieted when Draco shook his head again.

"I know he does, he was a Death Eater when he was younger. He left Voldemort a long time ago and has been helping Dumbledore since. I was too angry earlier to think about why he would be here in the first place."

"Does he still have the Mark?"

"Yes," Draco frowned. "I guess it can't be removed, I'm sure Snape would get rid of it if he could."

Both were silent for a long time, Ginny lowering her head to his shoulder again, each listening to the sound of fighting in the other room, which had slowly begin to lessen. Somehow Ginny wasn't afraid for Ron or Harry, or her father. Somehow she knew they'd be okay. She looked up at Draco, hoping that everything for him would be all right as well.

"Jesus," Draco swore softly, startling Ginny. His eyes were resting on the dagger that had come to a rest near his father. "Lucuis nearly killed you."

Ginny raised her head, "I've nearly died a lot this past day," she said lightly, but shivered when she looked over at the knife and wands. "But I'm okay. We're okay."

Ginny felt his hand lightly tilt her face up so she looked him fully in his face. His gray eyes were dark, and his face was torn between sadness and happiness. Then ever so slowly his silver head descended to meet hers. Their lips met, starting as a gentle kiss, and as the reality of what had happened, and nearly happened, it intensified. Ginny was only dimly aware of Draco's arms sliding around her waist and pulling her closer, and her own wrapping around his neck, holding him so he couldn't withdraw. 

The kiss ended only when the noises started to cease in the room they'd escaped from. Ginny would have toppled over if Draco hadn't been supporting her, drugged from the ferocity of their kiss. Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened to shout out a warning, but it was too late. 

There was flash of metal, and Draco fell over, hitting the floor with a dull thud, dragging Ginny with him. She let out a scream, seeing blood beginning to seep from the back of his head.

A freezing cold hand grabbed her by the arm and jerked her up and away from Draco. Ginny couldn't look away at the prone form lying on the floor. She barely heard the frantic exchange of words between the two people.

"You killed him you idiot." Narcissa shrieked who had a hold on Ginny. She looked down at her son, no motherly fear in them, it was more distatched and unfeeling.

Lucius scowled, shoving the dagger back into his robes. 

"He's bleeding!" Ginny cried, unheard.

"Well I needed to be sure he'd be out," Lucius shrugged carelessly. Neither had made any notion of Ginny, too busy with their argument. "If he's dead, he's dead. Never was much of anything but a nuisance.

"He was valuable." Narcissa argued but shook her head. "Grab the wands, what will we do with the brat?" Narcissa asked, giving Ginny a shake.

"Kill her."

"Be sure to do it this time," Narcissa snapped. "She's avoided it three times now, I'm beginning to question your abilities Lucius."

Lucius scowled at his wife, picking up his and Draco's wand off of the floor.

Ginny nearly passed out when they announced Draco dead. She went rigid when they began to talk about her as if she weren't there. As Lucius bent over to pick up the wands, Ginny reacted by twisting around in Narcissa's arms and stomping hard on her foot. 

Narcissa let go with a startled cry and stumbled backward, her foot catching on her robes tripping her to the floor. Ginny managed to step back away from her so she wouldn't fall along with her, but had to drop to the floor to avoid Lucius' curse. He recovered quickly though and sent one at her while she crouched on the floor. 

Desperate, Ginny slid across the floor toward Lucius' legs. She went right into him, causing him to topple on top of her painfully and the wands clatter to the floor. Elbowing him off of her, Ginny recovered her senses first and reached out to grab the wands but a booted foot stomped down on top of them.

Ginny looked up at the triumphant sneer on Narcissa's face, her heart sinking. Then quite suddenly, Narcissa's feet fell out from under her and she landed hard, her head crashing into the back of her husband's neck. 

If the situation hadn't have been so serious, Ginny would have laughed, but she was crawling after the wands which had been shoved down near the Malfoy's thrashing feet. 

"Ginny!" she heard someone call, muffled by the door.

"Out here! Come quick!" Ginny screamed diving for the wands. Just as her fingers closed around the wands Lucius kicked out, hitting the side of her face. With a groan she rolled away, feeling the grip on her wands weaken with the stinging pain on the right side of her face.

The smooth wands were jerked roughly from her grasp, and the sound of a door opening was all she could hear over the yelling of voices. Just as she opened her watery eyes there was a flash of light and two loud pops.

"Ginny!" she heard Harry's voice call. "She's over here Ron, get your dad!"

Ginny didn't see Harry run to her. All she saw was a puddle of blood, where the now missing body of Draco had lain. Then it was black.

_Voices...arguing...laughing..._ Ginny sat up quickly from the hospital bed both fists closed tightly around her blanket. The rush of blood from her head made her sway and fall back to her pillow yet her eyes remained open. Another dream about him.

She was back at Hogwarts, in the infirmary. She remembered being brought there by her father, and then she'd fallen asleep or passed out.

She remembered crying hard enough to wrack her small frame in shudders that had frightened Madame Pomfrey enough to stun her senseless.

She managed to sit up again, slower this time, and looked slowly around the darkened room. The curtain was closed around her, and the sound of hushed voices came from the other side. She recognized her parents and her brothers, and even Hermione and Harry's. Ginny smiled wistfully, but didn't make a move to let them know she was awake yet. She didn't feel like being surrounded by people right now. 

A barely audible sigh escaped her lips as she turned to the open window by her bed. The moon was out, slowly beginning to be covered by the black clouds that drifted lazily along. She couldn't concentrate on the beauty now. All that was on her mind was Draco.

Draco.

He'd told her he'd loved her, and she'd admitted even to herself that felt the same. That explained everything, why he acted so strangely and why the spell had been broken.

But he was dead. Killed by his own father.

Ginny felt her body shudder and she leaned over the window's edge, staring down the tower to the ground, many miles below. A cold breeze numbed her face immediately, and set her unbound auburn hair flying wildly around her face. Since she'd come here all she had were dreams...always of Draco, of death. Of finding him alive.

If she could find it in herself, she would have cried, but no tears came...

"Why can't I cry anymore?" she asked herself, lifting her eyes to stare out at the Hogwart's grounds. The only answer was the groaning of the shifting tree's, and the lulling calls of hunting owls.

Aoria withdrew her paw from the bed, seeing that Ginny was going to attempt to jump. She had been worried for a moment. The girl was merely contemplating what had happen, of all, which Aoria knew about. A very human-like smile crossed her cat like features as she turned and walked out of the room, unseen and unheard. Ginny's family and friends sat outside her curtain discussing what had happened in quiet voices. 

Aoria didn't pause to listen. She knew everything. She knew what had happened before anything had occurred. But such knowledge cannot be given freely.

That and she didn't want to spoil the great time she was having watching it play out.

There was more for the girl to discover, and there were many things Aoria had to prepare for. The solstice was fast approaching and she would have to travel swiftly to reach her destination before them.

As she walked down the hallway, the great black cat slowly began to fade.

There was much to do.

It wasn't over yet.

**DobbyWinky****, ****MochaButterfly** (Oh…your story is over. I nearly cried. I definitely want a sequel Mocha-Chica!), **Segev** (thanks! If you would email me about beta-ing I can talk to you about it, I'll be busy this weekend and New Years but I'll get back to everyone asap), **wildmajik**, **Starrika**, **DarkKnight** (just remember the line that Aoria's told them repeatedly. Ginny says it in this one too…and its on the summary), meg, **Tigre** (Hmm, great dream! You know what else would be great? Another chapter of your story!), linna, Nemesis, Rosandra May, **Snowlily**, Tiny Q, **Ijustapoorboy**(Thanks girl, good reviews, lol), danadian sheep, rebecca, snowstar, dragon queen (glad you got my back! J ), Just_A_Fan, **LilyAyl**, **wmlaw** (I know, I thought he would be a bit OOC at first but then I remembered he's in a very stressful situation and even the nicest people can get that way…I love Ron, and all the rest of the Weasleys! WEASLEY POWER!), ~meg~, fic head, **Lady Terayne**, Cloudzi, **Angel Solo** (thank you!), ~*Crystal Lily*~ 

Again, thank you all so much. I wrote this fic not only for me but for all ya'll and your reviews made it all worth it! Thank you! Thank you! And now for the credits…

All characters are owned by JK Rowling.

The plot was made by Realms and the developing of the story was done by myself.

Draco Malfoy is a sechsibish HO and he's mine ^_^

Now I must say goodbye, for I will be gone for a good while before I can come back and check my reviews. So make me happy. Email me too, I love to get email! Gold star if you know where this comes from. It's something I'd listen to often while writing. Sort of a theme song I suppose…

__

Mornie utulie

Mornie alantie

When the cold of winter comes

Starless night will cover day

In the veiling of the sun

We will walk in bitter rain

But in dreams

I can still hear your name

And in dreams

We will meet again

When the seas and mountains fall

And we come, to end of days

In the dark I hear a call

Calling me there

I will go there

And back again

Lol, you don't think I'd leave it at that did you?

Silly

Heads up for the sequel!


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